Steve Jones presentation at SQL in the City 2016. Chances are, your team has several point-in-time backups for your databases. After all, they’re essential for recovering the system in an emergency. And, chances are, you’ve got a version control system (VCS) to provide the same capabilities for your applications. But what about version control for the database, too? Come to this session to see how you can create a more efficient database development platform by integrating your VCS with SQL Server. In real-time, you’ll see how versioning, branching, merging, and the other manual tasks you hate can fade away with just a few tips, tricks, and tools.

1. A Practical Approach to
Version Control for SQL Server
Steve Jones
SQLServerCentral
Redgate Software
#SQLintheCityUK

2. Goals
• Store database code in version control
• Track code changes across time
• Branch and merge changes to database
code
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3. Learn, Grow, Adapt
07/10/15 sqlrelay.co.uk/ Nottingham
08/10/15 sqlrelay.co.uk/ Reading
12/10/15 sqlrelay.co.uk/ London
13/10/15 sqlrelay.co.uk/ Bristol
14/10/15 sqlrelay.co.uk/ Cardiff
15/10/15 sqlrelay.co.uk/ Birmingham

4. Get in touch
www.voiceofthedba.com
sjones@sqlservercentral.com
@way0utwest
Steve Jones
#SQLintheCityUK

5. Database Lifecycle Management
Free
Tool

6. What is version control?
…any kind of practice that tracks and
provides control over changes to source
code. Software developers sometimes use
revision control software to maintain
documentation and configuration files as well
as source code.
(Wikipedia)
Source Control = Version Control = Revision Control
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7. Use version control because neither
you nor your developers are perfect.
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8. Getting Started
• Create a location in a VCS respository
• Script out objects to .sql files
• Commit files
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9. Demo – Setup in Git
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10. Benefits
• Communication and collaboration
• History
• Undo
• Get back to previous versions
• Branching/merging
• Single version of the truth
• Building block for ALM
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11. Demo – Changes and history
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12. Teamwork
• Work should be logically separated
• Sandboxes should to be used
• Developers’ work should not conflict
But sometimes we work on shared
databases, and …
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13. Everyone Wants Locking
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14. Demo – Locking Objects
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15. Branching
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16. Example of branching and merging
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17. Branches can be dangerous
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18. Demo – Branching and merging
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19. Finally
• Use a VCS, keep control of your code
• Ensure everyone has the tools
• Ensure everyone understands the process
• Write comments for the future you
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20. Goals
• Store database code in version control
• Track code changes across time
• Branch and merge changes to database
code
#SQLintheCityUK

21. Want to try the tools you’ve just seen?
Head to the Hands-on Labs
Questions?
sjones@sqlservercentral.com @way0utwest
#SQLintheCityUK