New in SSDT 17.0 RC3: Ignore Column Order when publishing Database Projects

Visual Studio 2017

• Microsoft Analysis Services Modeling Projects
• Microsoft Report Projects for Visual Studio

FAQ

Support for Analysis Services and Reporting Services BI project types is available in the VS2017 Gallery on launch day.  Support for Integration Services for Visual Studio 2017 is in progress, but is not yet available on launch day. For now we recommend using SSDT for VS2015 if you need to use all of the BI project types together in a solution, but stay tuned to this blog for updates on this.

• SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) turns Visual Studio into a powerful development environment for SQL Server, Azure SQL Database and Azure SQL Data Warehouse. With SSDT, developers can visually design, build, debug, test, maintain, refactor, deploy, source control and enable continuous integration & continuous deployment for their databases with a declarative model that spans all the phases of database development. Developers can work offline with a database project, or directly with a connected database instance in Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, and SQL Server running on Windows, Linux, Docker and in Azure or any cloud.
• With ReadyRoll Core, users can develop, source control, and safely automate deployments of database changes, alongside application changes. This means the same tools used for application development can be utilized for database development and deployment, and ensures a single source of truth for both application and database changes. ReadyRoll’s migrations-based approach gives developers more control over the end database deployment script and can be easily integrated into DevOps processes, such as continuous integration and continuous delivery.
• With SQL Prompt Core users can increase productivity with advanced IntelliSense-style code completion in Visual Studio.
• SQL Search allows users to quickly search for SQL objects across databases. Together, Redgate Data Tools help to ensure database development is not the bottleneck to continuously delivering value to end users.

Can these tools help me with continuous integration & continuous deployment scenarios?

Yes, both SSDT Database Projects and ReadyRoll can be used to include the database in your CI and CD processes. ReadyRoll is an alternative to SSDT Database Projects that allows developers to have more control over the end database deployment script.

Read more about the differences between these in the “Which tool should I use” question.

• For SSDT, learn more about CI/CD at https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ssdt/2016/04/06/sqldb-cicd-intro/.
• For ReadyRoll, learn more about CI/CD at https://documentation.red-gate.com/display/RR1/Continuous+Integration+and+Deployment

Where do I get these database development tools from?

You can find both SQL Server Data Tools and Redgate’s SQL Search on all Visual Studio 2017 editions. Additionally, Visual Studio 2017 Enterprise subscribers have access to Redgate SQL Prompt Core and ReadyRoll Core as part of their installation, in the Data storage and processing workload.

Which tool should I use: SSDT or ReadyRoll?  

ReadyRoll is an alternative to SSDT Database Projects that allows developers to have more control over the end database deployment script. It can be used alongside other great features in SSDT like the Table Designer and ability to View and Edit Data.

SSDT and ReadyRoll Core take two different approaches to database development. SSDT takes a state-based approach, while ReadyRoll Core takes a migrations-based approach. The short version: for example, consider this analogy for baking a cake:

• With SSDT database projects, you are given a list of ingredients and a picture of what the end cake will look like; the beginning and end state. How you get there is derived.
• With ReadyRoll Core, you are given the recipe telling you what to do each step of the way to turn the ingredients into a cake.

• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2015 is 14.0.61021.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/mt186501)
• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2013 is 12.0.61021.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dn864412)

• The version number is 13.0.3485.1
• You can also install as a nuget package, e.g. for use in Powershell or your own app integration scenarios:
  • x64 package is here
  • x86 package is here

What’s new in SSDT?

Database Tools

• The new search box in the Browse tab helps you filter your Local servers, Network servers and Azure SQL Databases. This is very useful if (like us) you have a large number of servers or databases appearing in these lists.
• The History tab has right-click menu options to pin / unpin favorites, and a new option to remove connections from the History.

• DeployScriptPath (shortname: dsp). This is an optional path to write the deployment script to. For Azure deployment, if there were TSQL commands to create of modify the DB a master script will be written to the same path but with “Filename_Master.sql” as the output file name.
• DeployReportPath (shortname: drp). This is an optional path to write the deployment report to.

DacServices service = new DacServices(connectionString);
using(DacPackage package = DacPackage.Load(@"C:\My\db.dacpac")) {
var options = new PublishOptions() {
    GenerateDeploymentScript = true, // Should a deployment script be created?
    GenerateDeploymentReport = true, // Should an xml deploy report be created?
    DatabaseScriptPath = @"C:\My\OutputScript.sql", // optional path to save script to
    MasterDbScriptPath = @"C:\My\OutputScript_Master.sql", // optional path to save master script to
    DeployOptions = new DacDeployOptions()
};

// Call publish and receive deployment script & report in the results
PublishResult result = service.Publish(package, "TargetDb", options);
Console.WriteLine(result.DatabaseScript);
Console.WriteLine(result.MasterDbScript);
Console.WriteLine(result.DeploymentReport);

// Call script and receive deployment script & report in results
result = service.Script(package, "TargetDb", options);
Console.WriteLine(result.DatabaseScript);
Console.WriteLine(result.MasterDbScript);
Console.WriteLine(result.DeploymentReport);

Analysis Services & Reporting Services

Fixed / Improved this month

• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2015 is 14.0.60923.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/mt186501)
• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2013 is 12.0.60923.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dn864412)

• The version number is 13.0.3450.1
• You can also install as a nuget package, e.g. for use in Powershell or your own app integration scenarios:
  • x64 package is here
  • x86 package is here

What’s new in SSDT?

Database Tools

Analysis Services - Integrated Workspace Mode for SSDT Tabular (SSAS)

SSDT Tabular now includes an internal SSAS instance, which SSDT Tabular starts automatically in the background if integrated workspace mode is enabled so that you can add and view tables, columns, and data in the model designer without having to provide an external workspace server instance. Integrated workspace mode does not change how SSDT Tabular works with a workspace server and database. What changes is where SSDT Tabular hosts the workspace database. To enable integrated workspace mode, select the Integrated Workspace option in the Tabular Model Designer dialog box displayed when creating a new tabular project. For existing tabular projects that currently use an explicit workspace server, you can switch to integrated workspace mode by setting the Integrated Workspace Mode parameter to True in the Properties window, which is displayed when you select the Model.bim file in Solution Explorer.

For more information please read this Analysis Services blog post.

Fixed / Improved this month

Database Tools

Analysis Services & Reporting Services

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SqlPackage.exe

Data-Tier Application Framework (DACFx)

• Load or create a Schema Compare (.scmp) file
• Compare schemas and view results
• Exclude specific differences
• Create a script or publish to a target database

• The Data Storage and Processing workload shipped with the new Visual Studio installer
• The new SSDT MSBuild NuGet package, which makes setting up CI/CD of SQL Projects a breeze

• Reduce the minimum footprint of Visual Studio.
• Install more quickly with less system impact, and uninstall cleanly.
• Make it easier for you to select and install just the features you need.

• Super lightweight installation
• Easy update of the SSDT MSBuild package on your machine – just use the standard NuGet update processes
• Isolated build process makes it easy to maintain. There are no globally shared dependencies with any GAC’d (Global Assembly Cache) components

• Note: to try out the latest MSBuild 15.0 on your build agent, the best way right now is to install the core Visual Studio with no workloads installed – it is extremely quick and easy to set up.

• Control over the build agent’s resources
• Control over the version of SSDT, DACFx and SQLPackage.exe
• Deploy databases to any on-premises server

1. How to setup a local build agent
2. How to configure a build task
3. How to configure a deployment task

cd C:\agent

C:\agent\externals\nuget\nuget.exe install Microsoft.data.tools.msbuild -ExcludeVersion

setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\agent\Microsoft.Data.Tools.Msbuild\lib\net40" /M

setx SQLDBExtensionsRefPath C:\agent\Microsoft.Data.Tools.Msbuild\lib\net40 /M

setx SSDTPath C:\agent\Microsoft.Data.Tools.Msbuild\lib\net40 /M

• Right click on window menu and select “Run” and type “services.msc”.
• Once the Services application is launched, right click on “VSTS agent” and select “restart”.

• Select “Build” tab and select your build definition in the build definitions tree on the left side)
• Then, select “Edit” option and go to “General” tab.
• In the “Default agent queue” drop down select your local build agent queue.

• When you build you can see that the build is picking up your local build agent.

• First, open release definition in team project web portal
• Select “Release” tab and select your release definition in the release definitions tree on the left side
• Then, select “Edit” option and go to the environment that you want deploy a database
• Select “Add tasks”
• Then, go to “Utility” tab and add “Command Line” task

/a:publish /tsn:localhost /tdn:AdvWorksDemoUAT /tu:sqldatatools /tp:$(onprempassword) /Sourcefile:"$(System.DefaultWorkingDirectory)\AdventureWork Database Build/adventureworks.dacpac/AdventureWorks.dacpac

• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2015 is 14.0.60812.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/mt186501)
• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2013 is 12.0.60812.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dn864412)

• The version number is 13.0.3411.1
• Note: from next month this will use the same version number as SSDT, in this release it is still tagged as August 2016.

What’s new in SSDT?

This release provides new Always Encrypted Key management dialogs to easily add Column Master Key or Column Encryption Key to your database project or a live database in SQL Server Object Explorer. This release supports certificates in Windows Certificate Store. In the upcoming releases, Azure Key Vault and CNG Providers will be supported.

• While creating Column Master Key or Column Encryption Key, you may experience that the changes are not reflected on SQL Server Object Explorer immediately after clicking Update Database. To workaround, refresh the database node in SQL Server Object Explorer.

• If you try to encrypt a column in a table with data from SQL Server Object Explorer, you may experience a failure. This feature is currently supported only in SSDT database project and SSMS. The support for SQL Server Object Explorer will be enabled in a later release.

Fixed / Improved this month

Tip

To prevent an accidental data loss, deployment that requires data motion on a table with Row Level Security is blocked by default. To override the default behavior, use  SqlPackage.exe with option /p:AllowUnsafeRowLevelSecurityDataMovement=true.

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• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2015 is 14.0.60629.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/mt186501)
• The version number for GA in Visual Studio 2013 is 12.0.60629.0 (Direct link: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dn864412)

• The version number is 13.0.3370.2

What’s new in SSDT?

• In this release, actions that require Azure Key Vault are not supported inside SSDT, but are supported from our SqlPackage.exe command line tool. Database Publish and Data Viewing/Editing scenarios, involving column master keys stored in Azure Key Vault, will not work in this release.
• Generation of column master keys and column encryption keys is currently not supported. Use SSMS or Powershell to create these keys.

• Support for Azure Key Vault in SSDT. You will be able to publish databases using column master keys stored in Azure Key Vault through the UI, view encrypted table data, and do all other actions that are supported in this release when using column master keys, stored in Windows Certificate Store.
• Improved support for setup of encryption through SSDT.

Fixed / Improved this month

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