CODEWITHSUNDEEP
azureazure-sql-databasedatabase-schema
Jay Pete
Jay Pete

Reputation: 4259

SQL Azure Database Schema Patch system

I have been trying to find a standard way to include databases schema patches into my Azure continuous deployment flow.

So the problem I am looking for a solution to, is that as an application evolves, so does the database. Ever so often there are changes to the database to support new functionality etc.

In earlier work situations I have used proprietary solutions that hold changes to the database in a linked list in an Xml document. The database then knows the latest patch it applied, and if any new patches are present it will apply them. That way it is easy to keep all environments synchronised, and the changes follow the code.

While these proprietary solutions have worked great, I was thinking that before I implement yet another tool to do this, I would see if there was a standard solution provided by SQL Azure to solve this problem. But I haven't been able to find one.

Is there one or do I need to create a tool myself?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 199

Answers (1)

wBob
wBob

Reputation: 14389

Visual Studio Database Projects support deploying to Azure SQL Database so this is a good way to incorporate it into a CI workflow. If you are used to traditional deployment methods it is a bit of a mindset change; these projects work out at deploy-time what to deploy. For example, if you want to create a table, add a Table to the project and fill out the columns. Then, say months later, you want to add a column, simply add the column to the CREATE TABLE script. When you deploy, it will work out that the only schema change is a new column and it will add it.

This is a nice little series on that topic:

https://channel9.msdn.com/Blogs/Have-you-tried-turning-it-off-and-on-again/Creating-a-Database-Project-for-Artificial-Intelligence

Upvotes: 3

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