A simple way to release database faster and safer via automation

dbForge DevOps Automation for SQL Server is a cutting-edge solution that takes conventional database development and deployment to a whole new level. It uses PowerShell to help the user automate the way they build, test, and deploy SQL Server databases. The tool is designed to unite dbForge tools into a single DevOps toolchain that covers all the aspects of the database lifecycle.

  • Embrace database DevOps automation and management approaches
  • Implement database Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery
  • Minimize SQL Server database deployment risks
  • Drive quality and frequency of SQL Server database updates
  • Make the database release workflow consistent and safe
  • Use effective approach to the database lifecycle management
  • Reduce overall SQL Server database costs and expenses
  • Continuous Delivery
  • Operation
Database DevOps for SQL Server - Development

Development

When all changes to a developed SQL code have been made, developers commit them to a shared repository which is further synchronized with the central code base. Then the application or feature is being built from the extracted code and goes through the process of unit testing. Database Continuous Integration is a key to automation of each and every step that follows database development process.

Database DevOps for SQL Server - Continuous Integration

Continuous Integration

Database Continuous Integration is a development practice that implies that each tiny addition to the code is tested each time when the changes are being made. SQL Server Continuous Integration allows detecting and eliminating bugs on early stages of development, which drastically cuts the gap between development, testing, and the release.

Database DevOps for SQL Server - Continuous Delivery

Continuous Delivery

The Database Continuous Delivery practice ensures smooth and frequent releases of updates. With the database release automation, you can always feel certain of each code alteration is releasable. Thus, the database release management becomes less risky and stressful, and at the same time, the frequency of updates boosts drastically. The higher frequency of rolling out updates makes a product more flexible, reliable, and, consequently, more attractive to customers. Even if some issues somehow penetrated into production, they can be easily eliminated with a timely and simple update that won't be a nightmare for developers.

Database DevOps for SQL Server - Operation

Operation

Proactive and intelligent SQL Server monitoring and reporting ensures that you can detect, analyze, and eliminate any performance-related issues before they end up in the computers and servers of your customers. As a result, your teams spend less time and efforts, while you get more customers who are happy with the product they can rely on.

Build

The first step in the CI/CD pipeline involves deploying a database on LocalDB or a specified SQL Server and generating a NuGet package from a source control repository. Building a runnable instance is a fundamental phase in the project development process. The DevOps Automation tool plays an essential role in streamlining this process by automating the step. Use the Invoke-DevartDatabaseBuild PowerShell cmdlet to organize the Build stage of your project. Successful completion of this phase is a successfully created database.

Populate

After you have built the test database, you need to fill it with qualitative test data. DbForge Data Generator will perform this task in a few clicks. To organize this step, call the Invoke-DevartDatabaseTest PowerShell cmdlet using the -Include TestData parameter. Automating data provisioning for test databases is an important stage in the database development cycle.

Test

Performing unit tests against the objects in the test database is a crucial stage as testing ensures that certain functionality meets all the requirements or works properly after various changes made. To design unit tests and install the test framework use the dbForge Unit Test tool. To organize this step, you can also use the Invoke-DevartDatabaseTest PowerShell cmdlet.

Format SQL

Once the testing phase is completed and you have a runnable instance of our product that has passed all predefined tests, you’re ready to format the scripts in order to embed them in a NuGet package. To perform this task, use dbForge SQL Complete. You can also call the Invoke-DevartFormatScript PowerShell cmdlet for this purpose.

Document

Keep your database documentation complete by automating the process of documentation generation. To document your database, use the New-DevartDatabaseDocumentation PowerShell cmdlet. As a result, you receive extensive database information including inter-object dependencies and DDL codes in one of the three output formats – HTML, PDF, or Markdown.

Package

Before moving on to the final phase you need to prepare a package for deployment by creating a database scripts folder and then generating a NuGet package, which will be used as a source for deployment. CD requires this process to be automated, which ensures a reliable delivery to users. To create a NuGet package, containing the validated database source, use the Publish-DevartDatabaseProject PowerShell cmdlet.

Synchronize

The stage involves creating a schema synchronization script after comparing the source in the NuGet package containing database changes with the target database awaiting the update. This script will be then used for the release. At this stage, you can use the Invoke-DevartSyncDatabaseSchema PowerShell cmdlet. Successful completion of this phase is a successfully created database schema synchronization script.

Import Data

Importing data to a test database is an important step that can be used at different stages of the CI/CD process. To perform the task, you can use the Data Pump tool that supports import from 9 widely used data formats and includes a number of advanced options and templates for recurring scenarios. You can also call the Invoke-DevartDataImport PowerShell cmdlet to import data from the Command line.

Export Data

During the database development cycle, you may encounter a situation when you need to extract data from a production database quickly and efficiently. To cope with this task, you can use dbForge Data Pump that allows exporting data to 13 commonly-used SQL Server data formats. You can also call the Invoke-DevartDataExport PowerShell cmdlet to export data from the Command line.

Publish

After completion of all the stages above, you can proceed with publishing the NuGet package to a designated NuGet field to share it with your team, organization, or customer. This stage is highly important as the CI/CD pipeline requires side-to-side collaboration between the Development, Test, and Operations teams. To publish a NuGet package from the command line, call the Publish-DevartDatabaseProject PowerShell cmdlet.

dbForge SQL tools take part in DevOps Automation

Our tools can help you with extending the DevOps approach to your SQL Server database development and deployment

SQL Complete

Benefit from a wide range of code completion features that relieve users from memorizing long and complex object names while writing code. The tool allows focusing on high-quality SQL code with fine formatting that is easy to understand and interpret.

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Source Control

Version-control schemas and reference data, roll back changes, and maintain the referential integrity of your SQL databases. Source Control can also solve other database challenges, including deployment without data loss.

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Schema Compare

Manage diffs between live SQL Server databases, snapshots, script folders, and native backups. The tool can quickly compare your SQL Server databases, analyze differences, and perform error-free schema synchronization using generated SQL scripts.

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Unit Test

Develop a stable and reliable code that can be tested regressively at the unit level. Since Unit Test is based on the open-source tSQLt framework, SQL developers can benefit from writing unit tests in a regular T-SQL.

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Data Generator

Emulate column-intelligent random data, generating demo data for databases already filled with data, and creating your own custom test data generators. The tools can generate demo data by populating SQL Server tables with millions of rows of sample data that looks just like the real one.

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Data Pump

Fill SQL databases with external source data and migrate data between systems. The tool supports import and export from 10+ widely-used data formats (Text, MS Excel, XML, CSV, JSON, etc.), and includes a number of advanced options and templates for recurring scenarios.

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Documenter

Automate the creation of your database documentation and customize your documentation according to your needs. With dbForge database documentation tool you can eliminate tedious and time-consuming manual documentation and satisfy audit requirements by keeping complete documentation.

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Why choose DevOps Automation for SQL Server

Level up your SQL coding
  • Change code up to your needs with SQL Complete.
  • Beautify SQL code with the SQL Formatter feature built in dbForge SQL Complete.
  • Refactor your code easily with the Code Refactor feature included into SQL Complete.
Boost database development
  • Deploy local changes to the central repository using Source Control used teams in Shared or Dedicated database development mode.
  • Build a database seamlessly from the Sync or Update script with Schema Compare.
  • Automate and simplify the SQL unit test process with no affect to actual database with Unit Test.
Enhance your CI system
  • Customize the steps of a database project development and deployment in the already familiar Continuous Integration System, like Jenkins.
  • Organize the DevOps process quickly and easily with dbForge cmdlets for PowerShell.
Get benefits from automation
  • Switch to the DevOps approach form the conventional development model and boost the deployment speed resulting in faster feature delivery.
  • Ensure continuous feedback that will result in faster problem-solving with the DevOps automation.
  • Make your management less complex and cut down the costs with the DevOps approach.

DevOps benefits for DBAs, Managers, CIOs, CEOs, Developers, and QAs

  • Manager
  • CIO
  • CEO
  • Developer
  • QA

Automate routine tasks to build a relevant and consistent delivery cycle

Under the DevOps approach, DBAs can eliminate routine tasks from daily workload and avoid human errors by focusing mainly on planning and security compliance. The benefits of DevOps for DBAs may sound as follows:

  • Automate repetitive operations in the daily workload
  • Accelerate deployments and releases
  • Improve release management
  • Enhance communication and collaboration between teams
  • Minimize time-to-recovery
  • Ensure reliability and scaling with minimum risks
  • Monitor database state while version-controlling schemas and data

Release new features and enhancements faster—and with no bugs

As a rule, product managers tend to take care of timely releases and performance most. The use of the DevOps approach delivers the following benefits:

Build and deliver high-quality products with less resources spent

For Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), introducing the DevOps approach to the company mainly focuses on bigger revenues and less resources spent on the product. The benefits can be outlined as follows:

  • Produce higher gains from product sales
  • Increase customer satisfaction
  • Establish reliable processes between teams
  • Fix bugs and defects faster and more efficiently
  • Make business more agile to match the demands of customers
  • Reduce the number of bugs and maximize product quality
  • Minimize costs on security aspects

Improve collaborative relationships

When implementing the DevOps approach, Chief Information Officers (CIOs) start thinking about how it can influence the company processes and help attract, hire, and keep from leaving skilled IT professionals. DevOps gives CIOs such benefits as:

  • Build a collaborative workplace environment
  • Ensure a variety of skills and qualifications for the staff
  • Make teams more flexible
  • Lead to higher performance per IT professional
  • Keep the teamwork well-organized
  • Add more flexibility and agility to work processes

Streamline operations with code, focus on its quality and rapid product delivery

The practice of DevOps helps developers apply changes to the code quickly and safely in order to produce reliable software that meets customer needs. The approach brings the following benefits:

  • Develop a product with shorter iterations
  • Fix bugs faster
  • Reduce the number of errors and outages
  • Increase developer productivity
  • Create more stable builds
  • Validate code integration on a regular basis
  • Optimize the software development workflow
  • Deliver better products in a direct cooperation with testers and operation team

Identify bugs at an early stage and increase the efficiency of testing

The DevOps approach allows QAs to test the functionality quickly and efficiently using automated testing tools. The approach can lead to the following benefits:

  • Deliver software with high quality and fewer post-production defects
  • Collaborate directly with developers at all project stages
  • Reduce the number of bugs in software
  • Take part in the development process
  • Standardize QA tasks with Continuous Testing
  • Automate testing processes, such as regression, performance, etc.

dbForge SQL Tools

Enhance SSMS capabilities by providing add-ins and tools, including dbForge DevOps Automation, which automates database development processes
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DevOps Automation integrates into:

Jenkins
Set up the DevOps processes in Jenkins with DevOps Automation Jenkins Plugin for SQL Server
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TeamCity
Enjoy Continuous Integration in TeamCity DevOps Automation TeamCity Plugin for SQL Server
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Azure DevOps
Benefit from Continuous Integration with DevOps Automation Azure DevOps Plugin for SQL Server
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Bamboo
Implement Continuous Integration with DevOps Automation Bamboo Plugin for SQL Server
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