Azure Continuous Deployment - Code First Migration seeding issue (MVC 5)

Question

I've set up the Continuous Deployment in Microsoft Azure (Web App) using a ButBucket Git repo. Code First Migrations works well on my computer, it creates tables and seeds them, but when I sync the branch, the seed method of the migration is not run on Azure.

So Azure gets the changes from BitBucket, creates the tables as needed, but does not run the seed method (every table remains empty).

Can you suggest a solution to run the Seed method on Azure automatically when a new migration is applied (or after every time Azure builds from BitBucket if that is the only solution)?

Additional Info:

• MigrationHistory table contains the migrations, so they were run.
• I've set AutomaticMigrationsEnabled = true; but the problem remains
• On Azure there is a Web App which is built and migrated, and an SQL Database which is referenced in the ConnectionString in Web.config

Configuration.cs

internal sealed class Configuration : DbMigrationsConfiguration<MyInsidR.Models.ApplicationDbContext>
{
    public Configuration()
    {
        AutomaticMigrationsEnabled = true;
        ContextKey = "MyInsidR.Models.ApplicationDbContext";
    }

    protected override void Seed(ApplicationDbContext context)
    {
        //  This method will be called after migrating to the latest version.

        //  You can use the DbSet<T>.AddOrUpdate() helper extension method 
        //  to avoid creating duplicate seed data. E.g.
        //
        //    context.People.AddOrUpdate(
        //      p => p.FullName,
        //      new Person { FullName = "Andrew Peters" },
        //      new Person { FullName = "Brice Lambson" },
        //      new Person { FullName = "Rowan Miller" }
        //    );
        //

        context.Prophecies.AddOrUpdate(p => p.ID,
            new Prophecy() { ID = 1, Text = "Fűben iszogatós, sírva nevetős."}
        );

        context.Interesteds.AddOrUpdate(x => x.ID,
            new Interested() { ID = 1, Email = "teszt.elek@gmail.com", FirstName = "Elek", LastName = "Teszt", RegistrationDate = DateTime.Now }
        );

        var tag1 = new Tag() { ID = 1, Name = "Karaoke", ApplyTo = TagApplication.All, Type = TagType.Games };
        var tag3 = new Tag() { ID = 3, Name = "4 rooms", ApplyTo = TagApplication.All, Type = TagType.Misc };
        var tag4 = new Tag() { ID = 4, Name = "Helipad", ApplyTo = TagApplication.All, Type = TagType.Vip };

        context.Tags.AddOrUpdate(x => x.ID,
            tag1, tag3, tag4
        );

        var indicatorIcon1 = new IndicatorIcon() { ID = 1, VisualClass = IndicatorIcon.VisualClassType.Hidden, Name = "No Indicator Icon", Description = "Nothing special, just a regular place or event." };
        var indicatorIcon2 = new IndicatorIcon() { ID = 2, VisualClass = IndicatorIcon.VisualClassType.Fire, Name = "Hot", Description = "This place or event is very popular at the moment. There are big parties and a big fuss around it." };
        context.IndicatorIcons.AddOrUpdate(x => x.ID,
            indicatorIcon1, indicatorIcon2
        );

        AddUserAndRole(context);
    }

    bool AddUserAndRole(ApplicationDbContext context)
    {
        var roleManager = new RoleManager<IdentityRole>(new RoleStore<IdentityRole>(context));
        var identityResult = roleManager.Create(new IdentityRole("Admin"));

        var userManager = new UserManager<ApplicationUser>(new UserStore<ApplicationUser>(context));
        var user = new ApplicationUser()
        {
            UserName = "myinsidr@gmail.com",
        };
        identityResult = userManager.Create(user, "Qwertz1234!");
        if (identityResult.Succeeded == false)
            return identityResult.Succeeded;

        identityResult = userManager.AddToRole(user.Id, "Admin");
        return identityResult.Succeeded;
    }
}

(I've found questions and solutions related to seed method issue only for direct deployment from Visual Studio, but that's not the way I would like to go.

Also there are solutions using different SQL management projects, but I think code first migrations inside the MVC project is the cleanest solution if it works like on my local machine)

Answer 1

I have found out how to run the Seed method every server start using this technique: http://romiller.com/2012/02/09/running-scripting-migrations-from-code/

Running Seed at every server start is pretty good for me, since it will run after every build by Azure Continuous Deployment. Of course it will run in other cases as well, but my method is not too long, so it does not matter.

I put the following code to Global.asax --> Application_Start():

var migrator = new DbMigrator(new Configuration());
migrator.Update();

As

protected void Application_Start()
{
    AreaRegistration.RegisterAllAreas();
    GlobalConfiguration.Configure(WebApiConfig.Register);
    FilterConfig.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
    RouteConfig.RegisterRoutes(RouteTable.Routes);
    BundleConfig.RegisterBundles(BundleTable.Bundles);

    // CODE FIRST MIGRATIONS
    #if !DEBUG
       var migrator = new DbMigrator(new Configuration());
       migrator.Update();
    #endif
}

What this does is basically running a Code First Migration at every server start.