Database Lifecycle Management (DLM)
Database lifecycle management (DLM) is a policy-based approach to managing databases and data assets. DLM is not a product but a comprehensive approach to managing the database schema, data, and metadata for a database application. A thoughtful and proactive approach to DLM enables an organization to manage data resources according to appropriate levels of performance, protection, availability, and cost.
DLM begins with discussion of project design and intent, continues with database develop, test, build, deploy, maintain, monitor, and backup activities, and ends with data archive. This topic provides an overview of the stages of DLM that begin with database development and progress through build, deploy, and monitor actions (Figure 1). Also included are data management activities, and data portability operations like import/export, backup and restore, migrate, and sync.
How to Use this Topic
Use the SQL Server Database Lifecycle Management diagram to identify the actions that apply to your database scenarios. To get additional information about a specific DLM task, scroll down to the links and click a topic name.
To communicate with the author of this topic with comments or suggestions, send e-mail to Louis Berner: Louisb@microsoft.com. Please mark your message with Subject: “DLM topic on MSDN.”
.gif "Gestione del ciclo di vita del database")
Figure 1. Database Lifecycle Management scenarios and tasks for Microsoft SQL Server and Windows Azure SQL Database.
Database Lifecycle Management Tools and Scenarios
Use the links in the following tables to view documentation and video presentations about database lifecycle management.
SQL Server Data Tools
SQL Server Management Studio
Windows Azure SQL Database
SQL Server Data Tools
SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is the final name for the software application formerly known as SQL Server Developer Tools, Code-Named “Juneau”. SSDT provides a modern database development experience for the SQL Server and SQL Azure database developer. As the supported SQL Azure development platform, SSDT will be regularly updated online to ensure that it keeps pace with the latest SQL Azure features.
The following table links to videos and documentation about database development tasks using SQL Server Data Tools.
SSDT free download |
Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) - Includes a link to the free SSDT product download, a beginner’s guide, a list of additional resources, and a link to the SSDT community forum. Content type: Download Source: Microsoft |
Get started with SSDT |
Get Started with SQL Server Data Tools - Introductory video demonstrations by Gert Drapers, an FAQ page, and links to additional SSDT resources. Author: Gert Drapers Content type: Video Source: Microsoft |
Database development |
Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools: Database Development from Zero to Sixty - A database development video demonstration. Author: Gert Drapers Content type: Video Source: Microsoft |
Development best practices |
Data Development Technical Documentation - Technical documentation, videos, webcasts, and code samples for database application developers. Author: Microsoft Content type: Reference Source: Microsoft |
Database migration |
SqlPackage.exe - Documents the SqlPackage.exe command line utility that automates database migration and portability tasks, including Extract, Export, Import, Publish, DeployReport, DriftReport, and Script. Author: Louis Berner Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
Reference |
Tools and Utilities Support (Windows Azure SQL Database) - Describes tools and utilities that can be used with Windows Azure SQL Database. Author: David Schwartz Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
Reference |
Guidelines and Limitations (Windows Azure SQL Database) - Describes differences between Widows Azure SQL Database and on-premise instances of SQL Server. Author: David Schwartz Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
Community |
SQL Server Data Tools Team Blog - Official team blog for SSDT on and off-premise database development. Author: SSDT feature team Content type: Blog Source: Microsoft |
SQL Server Management Studio
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is a software application used for accessing, configuring, managing, and administering all components of SQL Server. SSMS includes both script editors and graphical tools that work with SQL Server objects and features.
The following table links to videos and documentation about database monitoring and management tasks using SQL Server Management Studio.
SSMS free download |
Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express - Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express is a powerful and reliable free data management system that delivers a rich and reliable data store for lightweight web sites and desktop applications. Author: Microsoft Content type: Download Source: Microsoft |
Get started tutorial |
Managing Windows Azure SQL Database Using SQL Server Management Studio - This tutorial describes how to use SQL Server Management Studio to manage SQL Database logical servers and databases. Author: Louis Berner Content type: Tutorial Source: Microsoft |
Backup and restore |
Backup and Restore of SQL Server Databases - Describes the benefits of backing up SQL Server databases, covers basic backup and restore terms, introduces backup and restore strategies for SQL Server, and presents security considerations for SQL Server backup and restore. Author: Karthika Raman Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
Migration to Windows Azure |
Migrating Databases to Windows Azure SQL Database - This topic describes various options to migrate an existing SQL Server database to Windows Azure SQL Database. Author: Karthika Raman Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
Hybrid architectures |
The New World of Data: SQL Server and Hybrid IT - This video discusses solutions that span on-premise and cloud environments. Author: Gert Drapers Content type: Video Source: Microsoft |
Data sync |
Get Started with SQL Data Sync - Describes how to use the SQL Data Sync user interface to easily create and schedule bi-directional data synchronizations between the cloud and on-premise instances of SQL Server. Author: Russ Herman Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
Community |
SQL Server Team Blog - The official team blog for SQL Server. Author: SQL Server feature team Content type: Blog Source: Microsoft |
Windows Azure SQL Database
Windows Azure SQL Database enables organizations to rapidly create, scale and extend applications into the cloud with familiar tools and is built on core SQL Server technology.
The following table links to videos and documentation about database monitoring and management tasks that use the SQL Database service.
|
Get the free trial |
Windows Azure 90-day Free Trial - A free trial offer that provides you 90 days to deploy web sites to the cloud, run virtual machines, create scalable applications, and add a scalable, secure back-end to a mobile application. Author: Microsoft Content type: Download Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Tutorial |
Get Started with Windows Azure SQL Database - Learn the fundamentals of Windows Azure SQL Database administration using the Windows Azure Management Portal. If you are new to database administration, you can follow these lessons to learn essential skills in about 30 minutes. Author: Louis Berner Content type: Tutorial Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Azure training |
Windows Azure Training Kit – April 2013 - The Windows Azure Training Kit provides a comprehensive set of technical content including hands-on labs and presentations that are designed to help you learn how to use the latest Windows Azure features and services. Author: Scott Klein Content type: Training Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Azure training |
Windows Azure Training Kit - GitHub - This Windows Azure Training Kit includes hands-on labs, presentations, and samples to help you build applications that use Windows Azure. Author: Community Content type: Training Source: Open source |
|
|
Windows Azure worker roles |
Currently, SQL Azure does not support SQL Server Agent. However, you can use the information in the following blogs to configure a Windows Azure worker role and some custom code to perform many SQL Server Agent-like tasks. Author: Wayne Walter Berry Content type: Blog Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Performance monitoring |
Sys.dm_db_wait_stats - Returns information about all the waits encountered by threads that executed during operation. You can use this aggregated view to diagnose performance issues with Windows Azure SQL Database and also with specific queries and batches. Author: Louis Berner Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Monitoring |
Monitor Windows Azure SQL Database Using Dynamic Management Views - Provides information on how to use dynamic management views to detect common performance problems caused by blocked or long-running queries, resource bottlenecks, or poor query plans. Author: Louis Berner Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Backup and restore |
Windows Azure SQL Database Backup and Restore - Backing up and restoring data is different in Windows Azure SQL Database than for an on-premise SQL Server. This topic describes the recommended strategy to backup and restore a Windows Azure SQL database. Author: Karthika Raman Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Import and export |
How to Import and Export a Windows Azure SQL Database – Describes how to create a logical backup (BACPAC) file that contains the schema definition and a table data for a Windows Azure SQL database. Author: Karthika Raman Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Database portability |
How to: Import and Export a Database (Windows Azure SQL Database) - Describes how to use Windows Azure SQL Database Import and Export operations to copy databases between Windows Azure SQL Database servers, or to migrate databases between on-premise instances of SQL Server and Windows Azure SQL Database. Author: Karthika Raman Content type: MSDN topic Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Connection management |
Windows Azure SQL Database Connection Management - This topic provides an overview of SQL Database and its network topology, and then describes reasons for connection losses and provides guidelines and best coding practices to manage the connection life cycle in SQL Database. Author: Selcin Turkarslan Content type: Technet wiki Source: Community |
|
|
Troubleshooting connections |
Windows Azure SQL Database Connectivity Troubleshooting Guide - This topic documents common connectivity error messages that you might see while connecting to Windows Azure SQL Database. Author: Selcin Turkarslan Content type: Technet wiki Source: Community |
|
|
Windows Azure Technical Support blogs |
The following blogs are published by Microsoft Customer Support Services to provide solutions to common customer issues: Authors: Narahari Dogiparthi, Ki Yi Content type: Blog Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Community |
Windows Azure SQL Database Community Forum - Discuss database technologies like SQL Database, Reporting, and the Data Synchronization Service. Author: Community Content type: Forum Source: Open source |
|
|
Community |
Windows Azure Team Blog - The official team blog for Windows Azure. Author: Windows Azure feature teams Content type: Blog Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Manageability, monitoring |
Windows Azure Service Dashboard - This Windows Azure web site shows the health status of the Windows Azure Platform running at data centers around the world. You can subscribe to RSS feeds for individual data centers, or view detailed incident reports for a service that is not running as expected. Author: Azure Ops Content type: Reference Source: Microsoft |
|
|
Community |
Stackoverflow for Windows Azure SQL Database - View questions and answers from other Windows Azure SQL Database users, or post questions and answers about SQL Database performance, troubleshooting, or implementation details. Author: Community Content type: Forum Source: Open source |
|