dbForge Data Compare for SQL Server Tour

Read and make sure how easy data comparison and synchronization is with dbForge Data Compare for SQL Server. Click the screenshots for details.

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  1. Opening the data comparison wizard

  
  

  By default, the data comparison wizard opens, when you launch Data Compare.

  Tip: Also you can open the wizard by clicking the New Data Comparison button on the toolbar.

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  2. Selecting database connections

  
  

  To create the database connection, click the New button in the wizard. The Database Connection window appears.

  In the Server field of the window open the drop-down list and select the required server. Then specify Authentication, User, Password, Database. Click OK to finish the creation. Come back to the Data Comparison wizard and select this connection in the drop-down list of the Connection field.

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  3. Selecting databases for comparison

  
  

  In the data comparison wizard select the databases to compare. They are called Source and Target.

  Source is the database which contents is inserted to Target after synchronization. Target is the database which contents you compare and synchronize with Source.

  Tip: To swap Source and Target , click the swap button. To set up additional comparison options, click the Next button. To start the comparison, click Compare.

  Tip: To select what object types should be compared, use Object filter.

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  4. Selecting objects for comparison

  
  

  By default, Data Compare compares tables in selected databases. Views can be compared too.

  See the list of objects, automatically selected for comparison, on the Mapping wizard page. You can change the list manually to include only necessary objects into comparison.

  Tip: Unselect the check box next to Object Name in the grid to unselect all check boxes at once, then select the check boxes next to the required objects.

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  5. Custom objects mapping

  
  

  Data Compare offers both automatic and manual (custom) mapping. Use custom mapping to map schemas, tables, columns, and views that can't be mapped automatically.

  Tip: To discard custom mapping and restore to the default one, click the Reset button.

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  Mapping schemas

  
  

  Map identical schemas with different names without a doubt.

  Tip: To map schemas, click Map schemas button and select Source schema in the left part of the open window, then select Target schema from the drop-down list in the right part. Click OK and all schemas' objects will be automatically mapped.

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  Mapping tables and views

  
  

  Map tables and views with the different data structure manually in several clicks.

  Tip: Click Map Objects button and select Source and Target objects in the open window, then click OK. The selected pair of objects will appear in the grid on the Mapping wizard page and be compared.

  Tip: To map multiple pairs of Source and Target objects without closing and opening the window many times, click the Map button after the first selected pair of objects. When you manually select all required objects, click OK to see them in the grid on the Mapping wizard page.

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  Mapping columns

  
  

  See how many columns of each object can be compared in the Columns in Comparison field of the grid.

  Tip: To map the columns manually, in the Column in Comparison field for the required object, click the ellipsis button. The open window will show all columns of the selected object and their details.

  Automatically mapped columns are marked with the green icon. Columns, which are incompatible, are marked with the red icon. Select required Target columns from the drop-down list and click OK.

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  6. Additional options for comparison

  
  

  On the Options wizard page select additional options for data comparison.

  Tip: Select the check boxes next to the required options to apply them. (Unselect the check boxes, if you don't want the options to be applied.)

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  7. Analyzing comparison results

  
  

  See the full info about compared objects in the DataComparison window. Select only required objects or separate records of objects to synchronize.

  The top grid shows all compared objects. The bottom grid shows the records of the selected object in groups - Identical, Different, Only in Source, and Only in Target - and each group on the separate tab.

  Tip: For better understanding, filter the objects in the top grid, e.g., to see Only in Source objects.

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  8. Synchronizing data

  
  

  Use the synchronization wizard to accurately synchronize the Target database with the Source one. Backup Target database before synchronization. Select what you want to do with the synchronization script:
  
  - Execute against Target database
  - Save to a file
  - Open in SQL editor - (for the final review and manual editing)
  

  Tip: To see the Action plan and the list of warnings occurred during mapping, move to the Summary wizard page.

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  9. SQL script management

  
  

  Use SQL editor to view and edit synchronization scripts, create queries and execute them against the selected database.

  Tip: To open SQL editor, click the New SQL button.

  Tip: When the query is executed, see the query results in the Data window at the bottom. Find rich data management options in the right-click menu.