Thursday, March 17, 2011

Randolph - Amazing Solution for SQL Server Versioning Issues

Similar to the weather, SQL programmers and database managers deal with version control, but most of them don't do what's necessary regarding it. SQL Server Version control means managing the versions of the objects produced and used in their SQL Server environments. Typically, this entails programmers and DBAs looking at scripts which includes object creation development scripts into Visual Source Safe (VSS), or possibly a comparable version control software program, after they create them and then checking them out and in again whenever they make changes.

Most shops use version control to keep a record of their code - but why not consider the database? Making use of Randolph, you may often know your database development is fully versioned, that you lose absolutely nothing and can often go back - with pretty much zero efforts on your part!

You will find a number of rewards which comes with establishing version control:

1. Control of the versions of objects which are used within the various environments

2. Databases object restoration

3. Change monitoring -- detection of recent or deleted objects

4. Distinction tracking -- detection of what has modified in an object

5. History and rationale of object adjustments

6. Marking of a version of database objects to build upgrade scripts

7. Simple trouble shooting method by understanding specifically what has changed; as well as the capability to roll back modifications to prior versions of the objects


An incredibly good SQL Server Version control software will allow you to accomplish those activities:

- Total save of the database's entities

- An successful GUI: Enables an useful exploring through the database’s entities - Their numerous attributes, their total background, and an effortless retrieval of each entity’s complete source code at each point in time

- Detailed reports: Know precisely what happened on your database across time

- Looking and filtering through entities

- Comparing Entities - what exactly has altered with every database entity at any time in time

- Integration with SourceSafe, Subversion and Microsoft Team Foundation Server

- Built-in scripting engine

- Not just the databases: complete monitoring of SQL Server level entities (Logins, Jobs...)

SQL Search - There's an easy way!

Many developers face the issue to search SQL text anywhere in the sql database objects definition.

If sql developers have an sql search tool which may be utilized to find particular keywords in SQL Server object definitions, then the answer to search string in sql is simple.

On the other hand, most sql administrators and t-sql developers don't have such a sql search tool.

As the concept of search continues to grow in scope, I tend to locate myself eschewing several levels of categorization in favor of larger groups. I'll give you two examples of what I mean.

Feel of your inbox. I used to have folders for distinct systems, folders for distinct clients, folders for various colleagues, and so on. Now I tend to leave every thing in my inbox and use the different search features of my mail client or other search applications to retrieve messages as I need them. I'm not certain if this is due to the reality that the looking capabilities of these applications are far better than they utilized to be or if I'm just much more prone to searching for issues given that that's what all the hip children are doing these days.

Believe of a information driven web site. A retail web site possibly. As you drill down into the categories of goods, you'll usually have a breadcrumb trail somewhere on the page. Do we truly drill that far down these days or do we immediately go to the search box and kind in what we're searching for? If it's the latter case, what's the point of having a bunch of piddly small categories like Electronics > Digital Cameras > Memory Cards > 512MB? Why not just dump every thing in 1 huge category and let the search functionality take care of the process of finding some thing?

I like to have the ability to discover some thing on the fly when necessary and I do not wish to have to keep in mind how I originally categorized it. What's the login info for that FTP web site? Categorization is tedious at best, and usually times the very same individual will choose distinct categorizations for a given item at different times. The following is really a easy method to implement basic keyword search functionality using SQL Server and nothing but.

But - There is an option!

SQL Search String and SQL Search Query - Imagine you could rapidly view your database entities, and drill down according to various criteria to get what you are searching for.

Diana Lite helps you discover your way via all your database entities. Effortlessly navigate by means of your tables, views, procedures and all over entities, across all your servers and databases. Locate specifically what you are looking for - then script it, view the information in it, do a search for a substring in an entity source, search by means of all tables to find certain data in them, Browse through your code and swiftly answer questions like 'which procedures deletes from this table, or updates this table column' etc… (we are adding features on a monthly basis) It Supports SQL Server (2005 - 2008R2) and MySQL. For now, its given entirely free.