1. Visual Studio Database Tools (aka SQL Server Data Tools)
Dave Fackler
Louisville SQL Server Users Group Chapter Lead
BI Architect

2. Agenda Naming and version confusion Features of the database tools
Using the database tools in the real world

3. Naming and Version Confusion
Visual Studio 2013
Database tooling is built in (SQL Server 2014 and prior versions) 
Visual Studio 2012
SQL Server Data Tools (SQL Server 2014 and prior versions) 
Visual Studio 2010
SQL Server Data Tools is no longer available (believe it or not) 
Visual Studio 2008
Visual Studio for Database Professionals is no longer available (sigh) 
SQL Server Data Tools – BI (for VS 2012 and VS 2013)
Separate download that provides the BI designers (really Microsoft??) 
SQL Server Data Tools installed with SQL Server 2012
This is really just the SQL Server Data Tools – BI product for VS 2010 (wow) 

4. Features Import and manage/develop database objects in a VS project
Schemas, tables, views
Stored procedures, functions, triggers
Anything that can be defined in SSMS can be defined in a project
Refactor support (change schema, rename objects/columns, etc.)
Analyze database for “best practices”
Publish changes
Push changes from database project to database server
Automatically generates all scripts needed to update database server
Easy to publish to different servers (development, test, QA, production)

5. Demo

6. Features Schema compare Data compare SQL Server Object Explorer
Compare database project to database deployed to server (or vice versa)
Compare database project to snapshots of the project (or vice versa)
Review all differences found, optionally update target from source
Data compare
Select tables (or views) with same schema on two servers
Tables (or views) must be supported by primary key, unique index or constraint
Review differences (only in source or target, different records, identical records)
Optionally update target with data changes
SQL Server Object Explorer

7. Demo

8. Using the Tools
When creating a new database, I prefer to start in SSMS
Create new database (files, filegroups, database options, etc.)
Potentially create schemas
Then create VS project and import database
When designing database objects, I tend to move back and forth
I like the table design experience in Visual Studio (and love refactoring)
For views and stored procedures, I tend to use both
Highlighting code in SSMS query window and running that code is easy
Doing the same in Visual Studio requires opening a separate query window
Then I use Schema Compare, Publish, and Project Snapshots as needed

9. Using the Tools Using Schema Compare Using Data Compare
I use this tool a LOT!
Schema Compare to find differences and bring targets up-to-date
Project to server or server to project
Server to server (development to test, test to QA, QA to production, etc.)
Use snapshots of project to “freeze” database design before major changes
Using Data Compare
Data Compare to find data differences and bring targets up-to-date
Pull data from production to development, test, QA servers
Compare data between servers to validate various changes across servers

10. Using the Tools Integration with TFS (or other source control system)
Works well when database design is in a project in Visual Studio
Check-out object designs, make changes, publish and test, check-in
Use other TFS feature like View History, Compare, Work Items, etc.
Works much better than SSMS’s integration with TFS
For those most familiar with SSMS
Moving to Visual Studio will seem like an alien (and cumbersome) environment
But, features like the Table Designer, Schema Compare, etc. are nice to have
BI Developers familiar with Visual Studio BI designers will be more at home
For developers who work in Visual Studio most of the time
Provides a nice feature set for designing and dealing with databases

11. Louisville SQL Server Users Group
Q&A
Dave Fackler
(270)
Louisville SQL Server Users Group