An overview of how Data-tier Applications (DACPACs) work with SQL Azure and SQL Server 2008. Also included is how this Microsoft technology fits in with a continuous integration (CI) process. Visit my blog for more details: http://andrewmatthewthompson.blogspot.com/

1. SQL AZURE AND DATA-TIER APPLICATIONS
Vancouver Windows Azure Meetup Group

2. ANDREW THOMPSON
Senior Software Engineer @

3. Some Background First...

6. WE WERE BUILDING THIS
Presentation tier
Middle tier
Data tier

7. BUT WE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS
Presentation tier
Middle Middle Middle Middle
tier tier tier tier
Data tier Data tier Data tier

8. SO WE MOVED TO THE CLOUD
Presentation tier
Middle tier
} Web Roles
Data tier
} SQL Azure

9. 3 Months

10. The Problem...

11. EVERYTHING WAS ALWAYS BROKEN
Alter Table Alter Procedure
SQL Server
Create Procedure Drop Table

12. A single development database
doesn't work for long.

13. Difficulty
# Developers

14. How can we scale database
modifications?

15. POSSIBILITIES

16. POSSIBILITIES
• Hand rolled SQL scripts

17. POSSIBILITIES
• Hand rolled SQL scripts
• Liquibase

18. POSSIBILITIES
• Hand rolled SQL scripts
• Liquibase
• Redgate's SQL tools

19. POSSIBILITIES
• Hand rolled SQL scripts
• Liquibase
• Redgate's SQL tools
• Visual Studio’s database tools

20. What database project do we use?

22. Uh oh... we’re using the database project

23. What is a Data-tier Application?

25. TERMINOLOGY
http://dacguy.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/dac-concepts

26. TERMINOLOGY
• DAC
http://dacguy.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/dac-concepts

27. TERMINOLOGY
• DAC
• DACFx
http://dacguy.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/dac-concepts

28. TERMINOLOGY
• DAC
• DACFx
• DAC Package (DACPAC)
http://dacguy.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/dac-concepts

29. TERMINOLOGY
• DAC
• DACFx
• DAC Package (DACPAC)
• BACPAC
http://dacguy.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/dac-concepts

30. DACPAC

31. HOW DO YOU INTERACT
WITH IT?

32. HOW DO YOU INTERACT
WITH IT?
• Right-click menus (SSMS or VS2010)

33. HOW DO YOU INTERACT
WITH IT?
• Right-click menus (SSMS or VS2010)
• .NET

34. HOW DO YOU INTERACT
WITH IT?
• Right-click menus (SSMS or VS2010)
• .NET
• PowerShell

35. GETTING STARTED
Extract a data-tier application from
your existing database

37. USE CASE
Upgrade data-tier application locally

41. USE CASE
Upgrade data-tier application on CI

42. }
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo")
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Sdk.Sfc")
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Dac")
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.ConnectionInfo") Dependencies
$sqlConnection = new-object System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection($connectionString)
}
$serverConnection = new-object Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Common.ServerConnection(
$sqlConnection)
$serverConnection.Connect();
$sqlStoreConnection = New-Object
Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Sdk.Sfc.SqlStoreConnection(
Connections
$serverConnection.SqlConnectionObject)
$connectSuccessful = $sqlStoreConnection.Connect()
$dacStore = New-Object Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Dac.DacStore($serverConnection)
$upgradeOptions = New-Object Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Dac.DacUpgradeOptions
$upgradeOptions.BlockOnChanges = $false
$upgradeOptions.IgnoreDataLoss = $true
$upgradeOptions.RollbackonFailure = $true
$upgradeOptions.SkipPolicyValidation = $false
} Options
$dacChanges = $dacStore.GetDatabaseChanges($dataTierAppNameToUpgrade)
| Out-File -Filepath .DatabaseChanges.txt
$dacStore.GetIncrementalUpgradeScript($dataTierAppNameToUpgrade, $nextDacType)
| Out-File -Filepath .DatabaseUpgrade.sql
} Review
$dacStore.IncrementalUpgrade($dataTierAppNameToUpgrade, $nextDacType, $upgradeOptions)
} Upgrade

43. USE CASE
Upgrade data-tier application on
Production

45. Continuous Integration (CI)

49. TIP
Use the DACPAC version # to
avoid pushing unnecessary changes

52. TIP
Watch out for previous DACFx
versions

53. Pros & Cons...

54. CONS

55. CONS
• All schema modifications should occur within Visual Studio

56. CONS
• All schema modifications should occur within Visual Studio
• Online documentation is a bit scarce

57. CONS
• All schema modifications should occur within Visual Studio
• Online documentation is a bit scarce
• Deployments to SQL Azure can take a while (5 - 30 mins)

58. CONS

59. CONS
• Many questions around how this works with Azure Data Sync

60. CONS
• Many questions around how this works with Azure Data Sync
• It won’t do everything for you

61. PROS

62. PROS
• Developers can seamlessly sync database changes

63. PROS
• Developers can seamlessly sync database changes
• Dev-ops or DBAs can feel comfortable with DACPACs

64. PROS
• Developers can seamlessly sync database changes
• Dev-ops or DBAs can feel comfortable with DACPACs
• Code analysis

66. PROS

67. PROS
• Options to stop deployments under certain conditions

68. PROS
• Options to stop deployments under certain conditions
• Schema/SQL change tracking

69. PROS
• Options to stop deployments under certain conditions
• Schema/SQL change tracking
• You define the schema and it figures out how to apply it

70. What will the future hold?

71. Questions?
andrew.thompson@resaas.com