Automate Your Database Creation
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(Ben Taylor) Creating a new database is not something a typical DBA or developer does every day. When that time comes you need a method to create a database with the correct schema, objects and base data for reference tables, etc. If your organization has even the leanest process for application deployment you are going to need some method to build a new database without extracting the requisite objects from an existing database. Reverse engineering a database is extremely inefficient and unreliable. The only option that makes long term sense is to develop a method to generate a new database on demand, consistently and reliably. |
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Reader Comments: Post Your Comments/Feedback
RE: Automate Your Database Creation
by Marc Tutlo (posted: 8/27/2006 12:32:05 AM)
Ben,
Thank you for bringing up this important topic and sharing what you have learned from your experiences with it.
Our development department has recently adopted the 'agile' methodology, and while we are still getting used to it, as our DBA, I have embraced this opportunity to automate our database builds and deployment.
I use batch files and a simple configuration file (just like you described) that lists the SQL script files that need to run in a specific sequence. We use Microsoft's Visual SourceSafe (VSS) to maintain version control and the batch file can label the source code and pull it out of VSS easily.
So far, the results have been astounding. The time spent preparing builds is zero minutes per week. Zero. And the automation is easily attached to the build scripts that our developers use to build the application -- so I don't have to supervise it, train someone how to use it, or even lift a finger to start it! It is truely automated.
The biggest advantage (as you described) is that our database deployment process is identical to the build. The official database release *is* a build.
Thanks again
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