Precautions to take when using TFS?

Question

Precautions to take when using TFS?

WayneS

SSC Guru

Points: 95460
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November 1, 2010 at 9:50 pm

#75889

The company I work for is starting to use TFS. We have database projects built for all of our environments, and the plan is to deploy changes from lower environments to upper ones.
I'm pretty pessimistic about this approach - I'm worried that c*** that the developers are working on will find its way up into prod.
So, I guess I'm looking for advice / precautions to take in utilizing TFS for database management.
Thanks!
Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes
If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!
Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

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Jack Corbett SSC Guru Points: 184394 More actions · Answer 1

Current project is using TFS for Database Source Control, but not doing any automated deploys. Just doing manual changes. The project is still in development, NOT in production.

I definitely need to study up on DB Projects in TFS because we aren't taking full advantage of it. It's just a matter of time.

Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398882 More actions · Answer 2

We've been doing this for years. It works really well. I detail a bunch in the book that's getting released from Red Gate next week. In a nutshell, you deploy from TFS, and only from labeled versions in TFS. Once you get to the last environment before production, no changes are allowed except that they are tested and relabeled. You really can get to a place where you know what's being deployed, what's been deployed, what will be deployed... it works great.

BUT

It really requires a lot of discipline. You have to come up with plans & methods and absolutely enforce them. We've had a team or two devolve into cowboy style deployments and you will suffer because of it. Buy-in from management, agreement on the process, enforcement & support for the agreed process are absolutely required.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

Jack Corbett SSC Guru Points: 184394 More actions · Answer 3

Grant Fritchey (11/5/2010)
We've been doing this for years. It works really well. I detail a bunch in the book that's getting released from Red Gate next week. In a nutshell, you deploy from TFS, and only from labeled versions in TFS. Once you get to the last environment before production, no changes are allowed except that they are tested and relabeled. You really can get to a place where you know what's being deployed, what's been deployed, what will be deployed... it works great.
BUT
It really requires a lot of discipline. You have to come up with plans & methods and absolutely enforce them. We've had a team or two devolve into cowboy style deployments and you will suffer because of it. Buy-in from management, agreement on the process, enforcement & support for the agreed process are absolutely required.

You have a copy you can bring me?

Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
Check out these links on how to get faster and more accurate answers:
Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help
Need an Answer? Actually, No ... You Need a Question

Johan Bijnens SSC Guru Points: 135369 More actions · Answer 4

Jack Corbett (11/5/2010)
Grant Fritchey (11/5/2010)
We've been doing this for years. It works really well. I detail a bunch in the book that's getting released from Red Gate next week. In a nutshell, you deploy from TFS, and only from labeled versions in TFS. Once you get to the last environment before production, no changes are allowed except that they are tested and relabeled. You really can get to a place where you know what's being deployed, what's been deployed, what will be deployed... it works great.
BUT
It really requires a lot of discipline. You have to come up with plans & methods and absolutely enforce them. We've had a team or two devolve into cowboy style deployments and you will suffer because of it. Buy-in from management, agreement on the process, enforcement & support for the agreed process are absolutely required.
You have a copy you can bring me?

Grab += 1

Johan

Learn to play, play to learn !

Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:

- How to post Performance Problems
- How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]

- How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt

press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀

Need a bit of Powershell? How about this

Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398882 More actions · Answer 5

Jack Corbett (11/5/2010)
Grant Fritchey (11/5/2010)
We've been doing this for years. It works really well. I detail a bunch in the book that's getting released from Red Gate next week. In a nutshell, you deploy from TFS, and only from labeled versions in TFS. Once you get to the last environment before production, no changes are allowed except that they are tested and relabeled. You really can get to a place where you know what's being deployed, what's been deployed, what will be deployed... it works great.
BUT
It really requires a lot of discipline. You have to come up with plans & methods and absolutely enforce them. We've had a team or two devolve into cowboy style deployments and you will suffer because of it. Buy-in from management, agreement on the process, enforcement & support for the agreed process are absolutely required.
You have a copy you can bring me?

Nope. I haven't seen it yet. Heck, I suspect others will get it before I do, but if I do get it & no one else does, yeah, I'll share.

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 6

Thanks a bunch guys! Grant, I'm real interested in looking at that book when it's out.

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

Grant Fritchey SSC Guru Points: 398882 More actions · Answer 7

For those interested, the book on development will be released here[/url].

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt

Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736198 More actions · Answer 8

I'd also save a link to the PM form for Grant. He would be the person I could call for this stuff, though I'd actually post something in the forums here, then send Grant a link so he can share issues/solutions with everyone.

Johan Bijnens SSC Guru Points: 135369 More actions · Answer 9

I grabbed a copy of the book at SQLPass :kiss:.

I love the way it points to considerations on standards, ...

I hope the pdf will get published soon, so I can put it in my ref library.

Johan

Learn to play, play to learn !

Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:

- How to post Performance Problems
- How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]

- How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt

press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀

Need a bit of Powershell? How about this

Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me

Johan Bijnens SSC Guru Points: 135369 More actions · Answer 10

Hear, hear .... go to here, here ... actually http://www.red-gate.com/specials/Ebooks/RG_Guide_to_SQL_Server_Dev.pdf

Johan

Learn to play, play to learn !

Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:

- How to post Performance Problems
- How to post data/code to get the best help[/url]

- How to prevent a sore throat after hours of presenting ppt

press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀

Need a bit of Powershell? How about this

Who am I ? Sometimes this is me but most of the time this is me

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 11

Awesome. Great resource and now I have something more to read and review.

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events

WayneS SSC Guru Points: 95460 More actions · Answer 12

Good timing Jason - I was going to look for this thread tomorrow to get the pdf. Thanks for bringing it to the front!

Wayne
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server 2008
Author - SQL Server T-SQL Recipes

If you can't explain to another person how the code that you're copying from the internet works, then DON'T USE IT on a production system! After all, you will be the one supporting it!

Links:
For better assistance in answering your questions
Performance Problems
Common date/time routines
Understanding and Using APPLY Part 1 & Part 2

SQLRNNR SSC Guru Points: 281334 More actions · Answer 13

WayneS (12/1/2010)
Good timing Jason - I was going to look for this thread tomorrow to get the pdf. Thanks for bringing it to the front!

I knew you needed it again 😉

Jason...AKA CirqueDeSQLeil
_______________________________________________
I have given a name to my pain...MCM SQL Server, MVP
SQL RNNR
Posting Performance Based Questions - Gail Shaw[/url]
Learn Extended Events