Upgrading offsite databases

The situation

You have made a number of schema and data changes to your product database, and you need to deploy the new version to your customers.

Key challenges

• Minimizing the impact on customers due to database downtime.
• Minimizing the time to upgrade the database.

How we can solve it

1. Use SQL Packager to package the database into a .NET executable.
   1. Select the objects and data that you want to be deployed.
   2. Preview the SQL code that will be used to create the schema and data.
   3. Generate the package using compression.
2. Run the package on the destination server.

To learn more, take a look at our worked example.

Benefits of our solution

• SQL Packager™ can be run on the database while it is live, so there is no impact on users.
• Compressing the package reduces transfer and upload times.
• No expertise in SQL is required to run the .NET executable and install the database.
• The package can be used again and again to upgrade multiple customers.

Case studies

• SQL Data Compare™ and SQL Packager help iCOMCept ensure customer's database accuracy
• Exia combines SQL Packager with InstallShield for easy installation and set up of web application

Online help

• SQL Packager: Packaging a Database as a .NET Executable