SQL Packager™
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can SQL Packager cope with very large databases?
Yes. SQL Packager has been designed to work with the very largest commercial databases (e.g. SAP in Fortune 100 companies).
What is the latest version and how do I download it?
The latest version is SQL Packager 6.0 and it is included in SQL Toolbelt.
If you are a new user, you can download the Bundle after filling in a short form (this enables you to download the SQL Toolbelt, but you can choose to only install SQL Packager). If you are a current customer, you can upgrade to the latest versions by choosing Check for updates in the Help menu of the product.
Do the SQL tools work with Microsoft SQL Server 6.5/Oracle/Sybase?
Red Gate SQL Packager works only with Microsoft SQL Server 2000, 2005 or 2008
How much will it cost me to upgrade to the latest version?
To find out how much it will cost to upgrade to the latest version, please see our page about upgrading.
I have downloaded the latest version but don't want to upgrade. How can I revert to my previous version?
This is possible. Please contact us for further information.
I haven't completed my evaluation and would like to extend my trial period. How can I do this?
Again, this is possible. Please contact us for further information.
What are the license conditions?
You can read the full license agreement on our website.
To redistribute the SQL Packager command line tool with your applications, you must purchase a SQL Toolkit license.
Why have I not received an activation response when activating my software via email?
The activation server looks for the XML data in the activation request. HTML formatted emails make it difficult for the activation server to locate the activation request in the message, and when it's not found, the server simply gives up and discards the email. To prevent this, always ensure that activation requests via email are in plain-text format rather than HTML.
Does a SQL Packager package set a return code when it finishes?
SQL Packager sets two return codes that you can use in batch files or scripts to determine if the package ran successfully. It returns 0 if successful, and -1 if an error occurred executing the package. In quiet mode, the error message will also be written to the console.
Why does SQL Packager produce an executable and one or more dll files?
SQL Packager will break large database packages into an executable when the package size reaches 100 MB. It will create an additional dll file for each 100 MB the package grows to. The executable must be distributed with the dlls to run the package.
Can I change the package that's produced?
It is possible to customize the package, for instance, to add a corporate logo. SQL Packager builds a C# .NET project and compiles it into an executable for you, so you can change the executable by using the Visual Studio .NET IDE to modify the package template. The template is a C# project found in C:\Program Files\Red Gate\SQL Packager 5\SQL Packager Code Templates\C#.
I am using SQL Packager to upgrade an existing database and I get an error "user already exists in the database." Why did this happen?
SQL Packager considers the domain name of a Windows user as well as the user name when it compares two databases, so SQL Packager sees this difference and attempts to create the user in the target database. SQL Server, however, is not concerned with the domain name of a database user, so if the user name is the same (after the domain part) SQL Server will return an error. Do not try to migrate users if you know they already exist in the target database!
Can I use SQL Packager to package up the data differences between two tables when that table is present in both databases, but does not have a primary key?
No. SQL Packager can only package up the data differences if a primary key or unique index is present.
I want to package a large database. Does SQL Packager compress data and schema?
Yes. SQL Packager embeds the SQL scripts necessary to re-create a database, so packages, like SQL Server backups, can be quite large. By default compression is enabled to cut down the package size. You can turn off compression in the Package Wizard.
Can I modify the SQL script generated by SQL Packager.
First use 'Save Script' to store the creation SQL. Then make any modifications you need to make to the script. Finally, use 'Package a script' to package your newly modified creation SQL
