In this article, I'll explain why we often need to maintain variants of the same database, at a particular version. I'll demonstrate how useful variants can be for creating slightly modified installations of a database, for special uses, or even for the simple task of provisioning multiple copies of the same version. In doing so, I'll show how we can use Flyway locations to overcome problems that would otherwise require complicated solutions. Flyway can make the whole matter of maintaining database variants very easy. Read more
This article explains how, by use of schemas and stub interfaces, we can use Flyway to manage the main development work smoothly alongside any changes or additions required to maintain production-only code. It also demonstrates how this mechanism enables Flyway to manage a 'mock' or 'dummy' variant of a production schema, in development, so that the team can still develop and test code that, when deployed, will access production-only features. Read more
Whatever development methodology you use, it is useful to have, and independently maintain, a separate schema within a database for utilities. These utilities are database objects that monitor the functioning and operation of the database, but aren't part of the database. This article demonstrates how to manage these utilities from Flyway so that we can maintain and migrate them separately from the database objects. Read more
Sometimes we want to check whether it is possible to run a Flyway migration without error, but not actually make the changes. We might just need to 'sanity test' the performance of a migration on the Staging server, for example. By using a placeholder 'switch' to trigger a SQL Exception, we can get Flyway to roll-back its transaction, and therefore the migration, on demand. Read more
Before you get very far with database development and testing, you need to be clear about your strategy for handling data. In this article I'll explain some of these issues in general terms, and then demonstrate how you can navigate these problems easily with Flyway. Read more
The 'ShouldExecute' script configuration option in Flyway Teams simplifies 'conditional execution' of SQL migration files. This makes it easier to support multiple application versions from the same Flyway project, to deal with different cultural or legislative requirements. It also helps developers handle environmental differences between development, test and staging, such as the need to support multiple versions or releases of the RDBMS. Read more
