May 3, 2005 at 12:27 pm
I am looking to create a new product to manage changes to SQL Server. Often in software development shops or ASPs, there are multiple environments set up: development, test, stage, production. Each environment has its own level of access.
Assuming that most sw shops work like my previous experience, developers often have access to the development SQL servers and sometimes test out bug fixes, etc. in those environments. However, they don't have those permissions on the test servers, only a DBA has them.
I'd like to create a product that takes the whole change management problem into account, so that instead of the DBA constantly having to go back and manually monitor changes across environments, a software periodically compares an environment against itself and notifies the DBA of changes. It would also have the capability for the DBA to approve or reject individual changes.
My focus would be on Microsoft SQL Server. Does anyone else have this problem, or a similar problem - and if so, then what products do you currently use?
Thanks,
-Robert Baumann
May 3, 2005 at 1:02 pm
I would look at Red Gates SQL Compare product. This does what you are proposing for around 200 a license.....
Good Hunting!
AJ Ahrens
webmaster@kritter.net
May 3, 2005 at 1:28 pm
I'm thinking about a product that would proactively monitor an environment for changes and notify if there are any. Also, in addition to data table changes, the product would monitor for schema changes.
The problem, as I see it, is that the current change management software products out there don't allow you to proactively monitor an environment, or multiple environments. They are often only run when there's a problem, or just before a database release is to occur to a new environment. They don't incorporate workflow, anticipating the fact that developers will make changes to their development environment, and DBAs are often expected to know about those changes and categorize them into a product release. They don't allow you to be notified of individual changes to a database and approve/reject those changes.
My proposed solution to this problem would be a software that monitors one or more environments for changes (schema and data) on a regular basis, and sends notifications if appropriate. It would also keep track of your database updates by letting you categorize them to a feature release.
Does anyone else see value in this type of solution?
May 3, 2005 at 1:51 pm
Absolutely,
Imceda just released a product called SQL Watch. This product allows you to schedule a job to run (at any schedule you wish) and the job will alert any user via SMTP mail if any schema changes have taken place since the last run of the job. It's a very simple tool but does a great job of notifying of schema changes.
I do not know if they have any plans to do anything about data compare.
May 4, 2005 at 3:10 am
I think all of the above products have their place however they do not cover change management. Here's an article on the subject which has been extensively researched. http://www.innovartis.co.uk/pdf/Innovartis_An_Automated_Approach_To_Do_Change_Mgt.pdf
The product DB Ghost (http://www.dbghost.com) facilitates the above approach which in my opinion covers database change management fully as the corner stone of the system is source control.
If you would like to hear why I think other approaches are fundamentally flawed please ask - I'd be only to happy to explain my reasons.
regards,
Mark Baekdal
+44 (0)208 241 1762
Build, Comparison and Synchronization from Source Control = Database change management for SQL Server
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