Compare and Synchronize
SQL Server Databases
e-dule
Software has released DB SynchroComp v. 3.0.0, a tool for
Microsoft SQL Server 7.0, and 2000, that compares and synchronizes
two database schemas.
DB SynchroComp helps you to perform the error prone and annoying
job of synchronizing the two database structures.
DB SynchroComp
detects the differences between two database schemas and generates
script to match the structure of these schemas. At the same
time, the DB SynchroComp maintains all data integrity in the
database that is a subject of synchronization.
Steps
to Synchronized Databases - Product Tour
Before any change
to the database schema is made, data in tables affected by
the synchronization are saved into the temporary data storage
(not in tempdb, but in the current database). After creating
the tables with a new internal structure, the data will be
loaded back to these database tables.
The program
script will execute within the transaction, so if an error
in execution occurs, if any (which might be caused by the
user interference on the script code), it will not cause any
loss of data.
Normally, when
you are developing and maintaining information system, you
are changing the database structure. Since at the end of the
process the 'live' database must have the same structure as
the developing one, you could, for example, note all the changes
you have made to the developing database and you could manually
repeat them to the 'live' database later. Practically, it
could be a huge problem. You could lose a lot of time as well
as the important data. How can you be sure that all the changes
you made to your developing database are made to the live
database too? Without the appropriate tool, you simply can't.
DB SynchroComp
is the right solution for you. Using DB SynchroComp, the database
synchronization task becomes an easy one. All you need is
to connect to your databases (or load the source schema, for
example, from the db schema file), generate the synchronization
script and run it. All your data will be preserved, and both
databases will have the same structure.
DB SynchroComp compares two databases, determines the differences
between them and generates the script that will change the
target database structure to match the source database structure.
After you execute the synchronization script, both databases
will have the same structure, and the existing data in the
target database will remain intact.
DB SynchroComp will not harm the existing data. All the data
that were in the target database will remain unchanged. DB
SynchroComp will change only the database schema, but not
the data. The only case when data will be changed is when
creating a new field or changing the field type. If the new
column cannot contain null values, if it is a part of a primary
key and if the default value is not defined the identity value
will be inserted into that column This identity value is first
generated like integer identity value, and then converted
to underlying column type. With the New fields editor, the
user can change this default value by inserting the SQL script
that will generate the values for that column.
Some Extra Features
The comparison will be done on an object basis. This means
that all the relevant things (indexes, collation order, white
spaces, etc.) regarding the database object in question will
be considered in the comparison process. There is a possibility
to change the default comparison options. It is possible to
compare only chosen types of database objects. White spaces
or comments might be excluded when you compare the stored
procedures or functions. Collation order is a novelty introduced
in MS SQL Server 2000 version. Because of that, when you compare
two databases from which one is MS SQL Server 7 and the other
is MS SQL 2000, the comparison of collation order will be
excluded. Since the sysdepends system table might be inaccurate,
DB SynchroComp has and relies on its own built-in algorithm
for determining the dependent objects. That makes the database
schema more accurate, and enables the correct creation of
objects in the target database. In order to properly manage
the relationships between the objects that do not exist in
the sysdepends table, and hence MS SQL Server is not aware
of them, with this property of the DB SynchroComp, the user
can generate the database script. DB SynchroComp will not
affect sysdepends table in any way.
DB SynchroComp is aware of objects created with the schema
binding option and knows how to handle them.
Functions, stored procedures etc., can be functionally the
same, but they can have white spaces or comments that make
them different. There is an option to exclude white spaces
or comments from comparing, so only semantically important
differences will be detected. Further on, a problem with different
collation order by which some columns are created might occur.
If two char columns are created with the different collation
order, joining tables through these columns will lead to errors.
If stored procedure or function contains such joins, even
if both procedures are exactly the same (according to the
script criteria), the DB SynchroComp will find that functions
and procedures are different and warn you that the collation
order is different through the comment in synchronization
script.
Stored procedures with the same name will be handled appropriately.
You probably tried to change the ordinary type of a user defined
type and found out that it is impossible until you delete
all the references to that type. Using DB SynchroComp, you
can easily solve this problem on the target database, since
all the changes made to the source database will be made to
the target database too.
If, for some reason, you need your target database to be created
in the same file groups like the source database, you can
check ‘Include file groups in script’ option.
In that case you will have to clarify what you mean by 'the
same file groups'. This means that they either have the same
name; same logical name or same logical as well as physical
name.
DB SynchroComp is able to compare and synchronize objects
that are encrypted in the target database. These objects will
be encrypted after the synchronization, if the user selects
the appropriate option.
Absolutely
unique features of DB SynchroComp:
• copes
with the object dependences successfully since it does not
rely on the sysdepends table, but on its own algorhytm.
• detects
all new fields, which do not allow null values and the generation
of the sync script will not be possible without defining them
first
• Connection
Manager (site only: helps you to organize your connections;
to classify servers into groups, divide groups into subgroups
etc. It has a history of connections for recomparing the databases
without reentering the connection parameters)
• extremely
simple user interface, reliable and lightning fast!
New features added to DB SynchroComp
3.0.0 are:
• it is
now possible to save the database schema in the file and to
use it later instead of connecting to the SQL Server
• support for extended properties added
• a possibility of saving the differences report in the
txt file added. The basic information about the objects that
differ: type, name, side and the difference type (in the tables
and views) are included in the report
• sp_helpdb stored procedure could not be executed on
all the MS SQL Servers (?). Workaround is made to avoid this
problem in the future.
• the script generation option for the entire database
is now more intuitive
• handling of the unique constraints added
Summary
If you are looking for a professional,
high quality, high performance , unique and reliable tool
that will help you manage your MS SQL Server database work,
use DB SynchroComp. This is not a tool that replaces Microsoft
Query Analyzer, or any other Microsoft tool. It is designed
with aim in helping database administrators, developers and
modellers to keep two database structures synchronized. It
is designed to assist the database administrators, developers
and modellers in keeping their database structures synchronized.
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