Getting Release Management Right for SQL Server

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Getting Release Management right for SQL Server
Alex Yates

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Sérstakar þakkir til styrktaraðila
SQL SATURDAY | #602 | REYKJAVIK 2017

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
DLM Consultant
workingwithdevs.com
alex.yates@dlmconsultants.com
AlexYates
@_AlexYates_

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
@_AlexYates_ | #SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Agile
Scrum
Lean
DevOps
Iterative
Continuous Delivery
Developers

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Monitoring
Deployment
Integrity
Performance
DBAs

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@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

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#SqlSatIceland
Farm Credit Services of America (FCSA)
• 100 person IT team, 14 sub-teams
• Database version control inconsistent
• Deployment process manual
• Delivery was slow and unreliable

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#SqlSatIceland
• Growing test suite
• Delivery faster and more reliable by
catching issues early
• Standardised source control process
• Automated builds/deploys from source control

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#SqlSatIceland
The deployment pipeline

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Databases are hard
• Schema changes vs existing data
• Reference data vs production data
• Teamwork and testing
• Database drift (change outside
process, e.g. production hot-fixes)

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Agenda
Version control
Model vs migrations
Continuous integration
Automating deployments
Release management
Drift

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Version Control

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Version control - LMGTFY
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=version+control

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There’s
more than
one way to
skin a cat
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
There’s
more than
one way to
skin
automate
a cat
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
V1 V2

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V1 V2
Migrations-based solutions

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V1 V2
Model-based solutions

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
“There's nothing more
reliable than keeping
track of exactly the
scripts you intend to run,
and running them, without
trying to compare model
and guess.”
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
“There's nothing more
reliable than keeping
track of exactly the
scripts you intend to run,
and running them, without
trying to compare model
and guess.”
Paul Stovell,
built Octopus Deploy
http://docs.octopusdeploy.com/display/OD/SQL+Server+databases
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
“As soon as you have
multiple changes on a
single aspect of an object,
ordering and the ability to
detect which change
needs to be made gets
very complicated.”
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
“As soon as you have
multiple changes on a
single aspect of an object,
ordering and the ability to
detect which change
needs to be made gets
very complicated.”
Gert Drapers,
built DataDude
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/gertd/2009/06/05/declarative-database-development/
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Model vs migrations
http://workingwithdevs.com/delivering-databases-migrations-vs-state/

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#SqlSatIceland
Model
 Easier (less control)
 Better for sprocs/functions
 Better for large/distributed
teams
 Better for frequent changes
 Better for dependency
nightmares
 Drift: rolled back
 Better for development
Migrations
 More control (harder/needs
discipline)
 Better for data migrations
 Better for small teams
 Better for infrequent
changes
 Better for simple data stores
 Drift: ignored
 Better for automation
VS

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
DLMConsultants.com/model-vs-mig

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Demo

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Continuous Integration

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What is CI?

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What is CI?
Continuous Integration (CI) is a development practice that
requires developers to integrate code into a shared repository
several times a day.
Each check-in is then verified by an automated build, allowing
teams to detect problems early.
www.thoughtworks.com/continuous-integration

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http://www.jamesshore.com/Blog/Continuous-Integration-on-a-Dollar-a-Day.html

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Build servers

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VCS Build Test Sync
Upgrade scriptDatabase
package
Test
results
The automated build process

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Builds/Tests
are run on
CI agents
Builds/Tests are
managed on
CI server
CI
server
How do build servers work?

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DLMConsultants.com/ci

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What is CD?
Continuous Delivery (CD) is the natural extension of
Continuous Integration: an approach in which teams ensure
that every change to the system is releasable, and that we can
release any version at the push of a button.
Continuous Delivery aims to make releases boring, so we can
deliver frequently and get fast feedback on what users care
about.
www.thoughtworks.com/continuous-delivery

@_AlexYates_
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Deploying databases, a history lesson
SOURCE TARGET
Process:
Manual scripting

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Process:
Database comparison tool
SOURCE TARGET

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SOURCE TARGET
Process:
Generating the script is separate from manually executing the script

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SOURCE
Problem:
Human error
Doh!
Human
Error

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SOURCE
Problem:
Drift (unscheduled or unmanaged changes)
DriftDrift

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What do you really need to deploy with
confidence?
Replacing a single deployment script with a credible release

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confidence?
1. Source model

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confidence?
1. Source model
2. Target model

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confidence?
1. Source model
2. Target model
3. Upgrade script

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confidence?
1. Source model
2. Target model
3. Upgrade script
4. Change report
SELECT ContactsID,
ContactFullName,
Address1,
CountryCode,

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How should deployments work?
1. Does target match target model?
2. Run script
3. Does target match source model?
TARGET

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What should happen if anything goes wrong?
1. If target doesn’t match target model (or source model) – error and
abort
2. If script fails – roll back transaction
3. If target doesn’t match source model after script execution – do
not roll back but send warning, then roll-forward

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Release Management

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Release ManagementTools

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How do release management tools work?

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Deployments
are run on
RM agents
Deployments
are managed on
RM server
RM
server
How do release management tools work?
Builds/Tests
are run on
CI agents
Builds/Tests
are managed on
CI server
CI
server
Just like a CI server!

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
Test
Staging
Production
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
Servers, environments, machines and agents

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#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
Server
RM software responsible for
managing your deployments
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
Test
Staging
Production

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#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
App DB
App DB
App
Machines
physical or virtual boxes
that you wish to deploy to
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
Test
Staging
Production

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#SqlSatIceland
Environments
groups of machines that
you will deploy to at the
same time
RM
server
App DB
App DB
App DB
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
Test
Staging
Production

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
Agents
release management software
that executes deployments on
machines
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
Test
Staging
Production

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
How database deployments should work
Test
Staging
Production

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
DB server doesn’t
actually need an agent
Test
Staging
Production

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
Install DB deployment tool and
an RM agent on a machine
(wherever you like)
Test
Staging
Production

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
RM server sends
instruction to RM agent
Test
Staging
Production

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
RM agent calls DB
deployment tool on its
machine
Test
Staging
Production

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
DB deployment tool talks to
target databases
Test
Staging
Production

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#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
AppDB
AppDB
Some people install an agent
and DB deployment tool on the
RM server for simplicity
Test
Staging
Production

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#SqlSatIceland
RM
server
AppDB
If environments are isolated by
firewalls you may need several
DB deployment tool
installations
Production
DB
DB
Test
Staging
App
App

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#SqlSatIceland
In summary
• Install the release management server on a test server or
build server etc
• Install agents that will deploy applications on the application
servers themselves
• Install agents that will deploy databases on a machine that
has access to your target databases
• Install DB deployment tool on the same machine as the
agent that you will use to deploy your databases

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Drift

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#SqlSatIceland
“When making changes
directly on production, you are
making a decision that the
delay due to poor cycle time is
more expensive than the risk of
making a mistake.”

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
“When making changes
directly on production, you are
making a decision that the
delay due to poor cycle time is
more expensive than the risk of
making a mistake.”
AlexYates,
built this slide

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
The bad stuff:
• Accidental roll-backs
(model)
• Failed deployments
(migrations)
• Environment inconsistency
(migrations)

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Drift
Strategies to help
 Improve cycle time
 Strict security policies
 Monitor drift (play with DDL
triggers)
 Redgate DLM Dashboard (free)
https://www.simple-talk.com/sql/database-administration/database-deployment-the-bits-database-version-drift/

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Drift
Strategies to help
 Improve cycle time
 Strict security policies
 Monitor drift (play with DDL
triggers)
 Redgate DLM Dashboard (free)
http://www.red-gate.com/products/dlm/dlm-dashboard/

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
• Standardised VCS, CI and RM processes
• FCSA delivering much more efficiently
• FCSA process model for sister organisations
• The team all have excellent CV’s

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
• Standardised VCS, CI and RM processes
• FCSA delivering much more efficiently
• FCSA process model for sister organisations
• The team all have excellent CV’s
http://www.codeaperture.io/2016/09/13/how-redgate-helped-define-our-process/

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Siloed sparrows suck at DLM.
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Heated hippos are closed minded.
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Model
 Easier (less control)
 Better for sprocs/functions
 Better for large/distributed
teams
 Better for frequent changes
 Better for dependency
nightmares
 Drift: rolled back
 Better for development
Migrations
 More control (harder/needs
discipline)
 Better for data migrations
 Better for small teams
 Better for infrequent
changes
 Better for simple data stores
 Drift: ignored
 Better for automation
VS
Clever people consider options …

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
… use appropriate tools …

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
… and make pain on his smug face!

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
This stuff makes a big difference.
http://www.codeaperture.io/2016/09/13/how-redgate-helped-define-our-process/
@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
DLMConsultants.com/rm

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Takk fyrir að koma á SQL Saturday Iceland
Sérstakar þakkir til styrktaraðila
SQL SATURDAY | #602 | REYKJAVIK 2017
http://www.sqlsaturday.com/602/Sessions/SessionEvaluation.aspx

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Questions?
Links: DLMConsultants.com/rm
Contact me: alex.yates@dlmconsultants.com

@_AlexYates_
#SqlSatIceland
Image sources
Author Source Information
Chiltepinster Wikimedia Commons Mocking Bird Argument.jpg – Wikimedia Commons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share
Alike 3.0 Unported license. Source on Wikimedia Commons: “Own work”
Bit Boy Flickr The elephant in the room – Flickr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Nils Rinaldi Flickr Hippo fight 2/3 – Flickr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
My own collection Taken by/property of Alex Yates Kitten, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat!”
Memegenerator.net Memegenerator.net I don’t always edit database. Content designed to be shared and delivered with credit to memegenerator.net.
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