Hey everyone,
SQL Server has two mechanisms for deploying and moving a database to another platform: Export Data-tier Application and Generate Script (with the "schema and data" option enabled).
I'm a bit puzzled because these are two different tools that seem to tackle the same task. From what I've read and tried, they appear almost identical in practical terms.
- In both cases, you can choose what to include in the deployment file.
- Both tools allow you to restore to another version or platform (for scripts, you can select the target platform in the advanced options).
- Neither provides transactionally consistent data import.
What am I missing here? Why did Microsoft introduce Export Data-tier Application when Generate Script already offers similar capabilities?