Clone SQL Server databases in seconds and save up to 99% disk space

Revolutionize the way you provision SQL Server databases and help your team develop, test, and ship changes faster

Watch a 60 second introduction

Take the pain out of creating and managing copies of production databases, so you and your team can ship changes faster

SQL Clone is a database provisioning tool that lets you create full copies of SQL Server databases and backups in seconds, using around 40 MB of disk space per clone.

Instead of spending hours provisioning multiple copies of your database for development, testing, or diagnostics, SQL Clone creates a single ‘image’ of a SQL Server database or backup, which is used as the source for multiple clones.

Each clone works just like a normal database, but takes only a few seconds to create and requires only around 40MB of disk space.

With SQL Clone's web app and built-in PowerShell automation, DBAs spend much less time on provisioning requests. Meanwhile, developers and testers can work on up-to-date, isolated copies of the database to speed up development, accurately test code, and fix issues faster.

What's new in version 4

The SQL Clone dashboard

The SQL Clone dashboard

Save up to 99% storage space

Save time provisioning

Central view of database copies

Fewer provisioning requests

Local, isolated development

Accurate testing using realistic data

Key benefits

Save up to 99% disk space

It requires about 5 TB of disk space to create or refresh ten copies of a 500 GB database, when you use a traditional provisioning technique such as restoring from a backup. SQL Clone creates just one full copy, called an ‘image’, and then multiple clones can be created from that image. Changes made to a clone are stored locally, so each clone is independent of any other.

Even a 64 TB database requires only tens of MB of local disk space and, suddenly, creating ten copies of a 500 GB database requires only a little over 500 GB of initial storage space. This smart reuse of bytes removes the need to spend hours juggling disk space, and allows teams to work in isolation on their own workstations to develop, test and fix code.

Save time provisioning

Even if you have enough disk space to accommodate multiple database copies, traditional provisioning processes are fundamentally too slow to support the team’s requirements. SQL Clone allows you to copy a database up to 64 TB in just seconds. This rapid provisioning allows individuals to work on their own isolated copy of the database, test in parallel and experiment while being able to refresh clones in seconds, on demand.

With SQL Clone's PowerShell automation, images and clones can be created easily and quickly, for example during a night-time maintenance window.

Stay in control of provisioning

The SQL Clone web app offers a single source of truth for the creation, management and removal of images and clones. Take a central view of what clones have been created, how much disk space they’re using, when they were created, and by who.

Teams enables you to manage access to database instances, images and clones for multiple teams and Active Directory groups. Control which instances specific users can use to create clones and images, enabling safe self-service and delegation for DevOps and CI.

Improve team productivity

SQL Clone frees up time previously spent on restoring backups, managing disk space and handling sensitive data. This enables DBAs to be more effective in helping to improve DevOps processes and advise on concerns such as database architecture, performance, security and configuration.

The tiny footprint of clones and precise control over user permissions enables the transition to dedicated development environments to boost experimentation and problem-solving. Automation and self-service means data can be refreshed instantly, and on demand, so data compatibility issues can be found earlier. And Teams keeps developers focused on the images and clones assigned to their project.

The result for the business is a shift towards continuous delivery of tested, reliable changes to the customer.

Mask sensitive data

Remove the risk of exposing sensitive data in non-production environments by running masking operations during the image creation. Clones will contain masked data and will look and perform like real data for development and testing purposes.

SQL Provision integrates SQL Clone with Data Masker for SQL Server. Using SQL Provision, you can run masking sets defined in Data Masker during the image creation in SQL Clone. Masked data still looks and performs like real data and the process is simple and repeatable.

Resources

Technology overview

Understand the technology behind SQL Clone. We explain why clones are so small, why they take seconds to create, and why SQL Server thinks it's working with a full copy of the database.

Read the overview

The Cover for the Bloor InBrief: Redgate Test Data Manager 2024 report

Bloor InBrief 2024: Redgate Test Data Manager

“If Redgate Test Data Manager is an option for your environment, you should be considering it.” – Bloor Analyst

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How Paymentsense cut provisioning time 85%

Read about how Paymentsense, the UK’s largest merchant service provider, cut provisioning time by 85% and transformed the way teams work.

Read the case study

The SQL Clone team can help

Whether you want more details on our tool, a chat about provisioning best practice, or you’ve hit a snag, we’re here to help.

Get started with a 14-day trial

Start cloning databases today – save up to 99% disk space and cut provisioning time from hours to seconds.

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SQL Provision - Create, protect, and manage SQL Server database copies for compliant DevOps

With the virtual cloning technology in SQL Clone, databases can be created in seconds using just MB of storage, allowing for isolated development and testing. Sensitive data can be anonymized or replaced with realistic data using Data Masker, to ensure data is protected as it moves between environments.

Learn more

Part of our Compliant Database DevOps solution

Redgate’s Compliant Database DevOps solution lets you extend your DevOps practices to databases so that you can optimize productivity, agility and performance across the full database lifecycle and become a truly high performing IT organization.

From safely making a change in development through to monitoring its impact in production, Redgate is with you every step of the way. We give you the tools and insight you need to optimize your development processes, so you can keep your team moving, keep adding value and keep your data safe.

Learn more about the benefits