Developer Database Snapshots

25 Nov 2005 2:09 AM

Tommi

I'm developing tool for developers to create snapshots (i.e. backups) from
different states of SQL Server databases. Later when required for unit and/or
stress testing or code profiling developer could quickly restore database
snapshots.

This tool is to be very simple and at first only to support SQL Server 2005
and later to older versions. Also propably first version would be rather
limited (as my time) including only one database and hopefully later
expanding to support more databases and more fine-tuning of backup/restore
options - since there are some. Also the snapshot tool would work easy "oops"
-tool if user's routine accidentally deletes all rows in a database it could
be easily backed up before catastrophy happens.

I'm thinking of doing this as a Visual Studio.NET 2005 Add-In but including
external API for unit testers and others to easily connect to this tool from
external programs.

Tell me what do you think - is this kind of tool worth doing ?

25 Nov 2005 9:52 PM

Adam Machanic

"Tommi" <To***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2ECEE6F8-AD03-4245-A0A5-E35F425E6810@microsoft.com...
> I'm developing tool for developers to create snapshots (i.e. backups) from
> different states of SQL Server databases. Later when required for unit
> and/or
> stress testing or code profiling developer could quickly restore database
> snapshots.
>
> Tell me what do you think - is this kind of tool worth doing ?

Not if you use the word "snapshot". There are already at least three
things in SQL Server 2005 that use that name: Database snapshots (i.e. not
backups, but snapshots -- very different), snapshot isolation level, and
snapshot replication.

Plus, there are other types of snapshots available, such as SAN
snapshots. Adding yet another snapshot to an already overused pool is going
to be extremely confusing for your potential users.

--
Adam Machanic
Pro SQL Server 2005, available now
http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=457
--

26 Nov 2005 10:05 AM

Tommi

You are right - actually the work I'm using is DevShot, which refers to kind
of developer snapshot as a backup which contains the database state at
certain point of time. I already created a prebeta of the software in
CodeProject (http://www.codeproject.com/useritems/DevShot.asp). Check it out.

This would be probably easier to achieve if normal SQL Server 2005 would
contain the database snapshots that they employ only in enterprise versions,
but even normal fullbackup to a file does the trick quite nicely.

Show quote

"Adam Machanic" wrote:

> "Tommi" <To***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:2ECEE6F8-AD03-4245-A0A5-E35F425E6810@microsoft.com...
> > I'm developing tool for developers to create snapshots (i.e. backups) from
> > different states of SQL Server databases. Later when required for unit
> > and/or
> > stress testing or code profiling developer could quickly restore database
> > snapshots.
> >
> > Tell me what do you think - is this kind of tool worth doing ?
>
> Not if you use the word "snapshot". There are already at least three
> things in SQL Server 2005 that use that name: Database snapshots (i.e. not
> backups, but snapshots -- very different), snapshot isolation level, and
> snapshot replication.
>
> Plus, there are other types of snapshots available, such as SAN
> snapshots. Adding yet another snapshot to an already overused pool is going
> to be extremely confusing for your potential users.
>
>
> --
> Adam Machanic
> Pro SQL Server 2005, available now
> http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=457
> --
>
>
>
>