Tools for database versioning

[Greg Milne]

Hi,

Does anyone know of any tools which will help us update a database (tables,
views, stored procedures, etc) to a new version?

We keep all the scripts necessary to create our database under version
control and when we cut a new release we need a method of updating existing
databases with all changes. A quick search of the NET brought up a tool
called Cast Release Builder. Has anyone had any good experiences with this
tool?

Ideally the tool would take two inputs: our database creation scripts and a
target database, and then automatically update the objects of the target
database, of course carefully preserving all existing data! I'm I asking for
too much?!

thanks,

Greg Milne,
Senior Developer,
Zonal Retail Data Systems,
Edinburgh.

[Andrew J. Kelly]

I have no experience with the tool you mention but you might want to look at
one from www.red-gate.com called SQL Compare. It will allow you to compare
2 db's and will generate scripts to make the changes. So you can create a
db with your version controlled scripts and compare that to the production
DB to create the migration scripts. While I do use the tool I actually
don't use the scripts it generates as I always write my own. This is not to
say that I don't trust them <g> I just like to use my own. That way if it
gets screwed up I know who to blame<g>.... From what I have seen of the
generated migration scripts they are pretty comprehensive though.

--
Andrew J. Kelly, SQL Server MVP
TargitInteractive

"Greg Milne" <gr...@zonal.co.uk> wrote in message
news:OtPIU7OWCHA.1164@tkmsftngp10...