Free tools for keeping sql server instances of db in synch?

2 Jan 2009 11:31 PM

mat

I would be very interested in hearing about any free or very low cost
utilities that anyone would recommend for helping to make sure two/three
'copies' of the same db are kept in synch. I have the development copy
of the database, a production db, and a test data db.

Of primary interest is keeping the database structure and objects in
synch. 99% of the time, changes would move from dev instance, to test
data instance, to production db.

I'm not positive what I'll do re data. There is no bonafide need to
synch data between the three databases. But I am going to provide some
method for the users to move the data from the production db to the test
data db, so that they can test with the most up to date data. I'd not
worry about preserving any existing data on the test data server. Any
ideas on this will be appreciated too.

SQL Server 2005, mixed express and std.

3 Jan 2009 4:02 AM

Aaron Bertrand [SQL Server MVP]

Not sure where "very low cost" falls for you but SQL Compare is very good
for this task. http://www.red-gate.com/ ... http://www.apexsql.com has a
good alternative also.

On 1/2/09 6:31 PM, in article
MPG.23c843b8c8ad3832989***@msnews.microsoft.com, "mat"
<m**@notarealdotcom.adr> wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

> I would be very interested in hearing about any free or very low cost
> utilities that anyone would recommend for helping to make sure two/three
> 'copies' of the same db are kept in synch. I have the development copy
> of the database, a production db, and a test data db.
>
> Of primary interest is keeping the database structure and objects in
> synch. 99% of the time, changes would move from dev instance, to test
> data instance, to production db.
>
> I'm not positive what I'll do re data. There is no bonafide need to
> synch data between the three databases. But I am going to provide some
> method for the users to move the data from the production db to the test
> data db, so that they can test with the most up to date data. I'd not
> worry about preserving any existing data on the test data server. Any
> ideas on this will be appreciated too.
>
> SQL Server 2005, mixed express and std.

3 Jan 2009 10:16 PM

mat

Thanks everyone for the tips. I also found http://www.sqldbtools.com to
have some offerings that look like they might be just about right for
me, some are free and some are not free but quite inexpensive.

3 Jan 2009 10:39 AM

Erland Sommarskog

mat (m**@notarealdotcom.adr) writes:
Show quoteHide quote

> I would be very interested in hearing about any free or very low cost
> utilities that anyone would recommend for helping to make sure two/three
> 'copies' of the same db are kept in synch. I have the development copy
> of the database, a production db, and a test data db.
>
> Of primary interest is keeping the database structure and objects in
> synch. 99% of the time, changes would move from dev instance, to test
> data instance, to production db.
>
> I'm not positive what I'll do re data. There is no bonafide need to
> synch data between the three databases. But I am going to provide some
> method for the users to move the data from the production db to the test
> data db, so that they can test with the most up to date data. I'd not
> worry about preserving any existing data on the test data server. Any
> ideas on this will be appreciated too.

Aaron mentioned SQL Compare, and your post certainly sounds like the
requirement specification for SQL Compare.

But if you think that the price tag for SQL Compare is too hefty for you,
I can offer AbaPerls, http://www.sommarskog.se/AbaPerls/index.html. AbaPerls
works from a different angle than you are asking for, because it assumes
that you keep your code under version-control amd sync:ing is not between
SQL Server databases, but between SourceSafe and the database. The great
news for you is that AbaPerls is completely free. The bad news is that
you are likely to be up and running with SQL Compare within a day, it will
take some time for you to understand AbaPerls and to change your process.
So, unless you are working on a volunteer basis, SQL Compare is likely
to be a much better bargain for you, at least in the short run. (AbaPerls
does have a bunch of features that are nifty, and you definitely do not
get with SQL Compare.)

--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esq***@sommarskog.se

Links for SQL Server Books Online:
SQL 2008: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/cc514207.aspx
SQL 2005: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb895970.aspx
SQL 2000: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/prodinfo/previousversions/books.mspx

3 Jan 2009 7:43 PM

darekd

Hi Mat,

I wrote a program called "SQL Server Comparison Tool" (SCT for
short). You can try it for free for 30 days; after that period, if
you'd still like to use it, you'd need to pay 99$.

You can download SCT from www.sql-server-tool.com

SCT can compare both structure and data. Just recently I added a
module for analyzing data - Data Analyzer. It can scan the values
stored in particular column to find number of unique values stored in
each column and most frequent (or least frequent) values.

HTH

Dariusz Dziewialtowski
ad***@sql-server-tool.com

15 Jan 2009 9:46 PM

DWalker07

mat <m**@notarealdotcom.adr> wrote in news:MPG.23c843b8c8ad3832989755
@msnews.microsoft.com:

> I would be very interested in hearing about any free or very low cost
> utilities that anyone would recommend for helping to make sure two/three
> 'copies' of the same db are kept in synch. I have the development copy
> of the database, a production db, and a test data db.
>

SQLDelta is inexpensive: I'm pretty sure it costs less than RedGate's
products. I think it costs about $225.

David Walker

14 Apr 2009 6:30 PM

Itamar

"mat" wrote:

> I would be very interested in hearing about any free or very low cost
> utilities that anyone would recommend for helping to make sure two/three
> 'copies' of the same db are kept in synch. I have the development copy
> of the database, a production db, and a test data db.
>

>
Hi Mat,

I can offer you to check out Nob Hills Tools, its not for free, but lower
than Red Gate's and very good.

The compare Tool - http://nobhillsoft.com/NHDBCompare.aspx

17 Apr 2009 6:18 PM

AlexB

There is MS software that does it. Synch network I believe is one of them.
It should be free with Sql Server as a prerequisite.

Just go to MSDN Sql Server forums and post there.

Show quoteHide quote

"Itamar" <Ita***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4BBEC34D-1842-4481-8BC5-B22BBB9508D4@microsoft.com...
>
>
> "mat" wrote:
>
>> I would be very interested in hearing about any free or very low cost
>> utilities that anyone would recommend for helping to make sure two/three
>> 'copies' of the same db are kept in synch. I have the development copy
>> of the database, a production db, and a test data db.
>>
>
>>
> Hi Mat,
> I can offer you to check out Nob Hills Tools, its not for free, but lower
> than Red Gate's and very good.
>
> The compare Tool - http://nobhillsoft.com/NHDBCompare.aspx

4 May 2009 7:41 AM

Amit

SQLDoc Sharp, an interactive tool designed to generate the SQL Server
2005/2008 documentation.

It allows exporting the documentation to CHM format (Microsoft
Compiled HTML Help). And it is easy and interactive, also allows
multiple database documentation.

http://www.amitchaudhary.com/SQLDocSharp_WordToHTML.htm