Synch SQL Sever 2005 and SQL Sever 2005 Express Databases

stefanp

I am trying to understand if your product can help me keep data in the following two databases in synch:

The first database is a SQL Server 2005 database and resides on a webserver. This database drives an ASP.NET 2.0 web site.

The second database is a SQL Server 2005 Express database which is an exact copy of the first database. This database is used in a local Visual Studio 2005 development environment where the ASP.NET 2.0 web site is being developed.

Both the development (Visual Studio 2005) and production environments (web server) are behind their own respective firewalls.

I am currently using SQL Server backup and restore to keep the two databases in synch. I would like to know if your product can help me transperently connect and synch these two databases.

To make purchasing a data comparison product worthwhile, the product would need to connect directly from the local development environment to the database on the webserver.

Thanks,

Stefan Pantu
Computer Software Connection, Inc.

Eddie D

Hi Stefan

Thank you for your post to the SQL Data Compare Forum.

The scenario you described in your post, I am confident that SQL Data Compare can perform the task for you.

To automate this process you will the Pro edition of the software which is supplied with a Command Line Interface(CLI).

The CLI SQL Data Compare commands can be inserted into to batch files which can be run out of hours using the Windows scheduler.

I recommend that you evaluate in a test envirnoment first to make sure that the software meets your requirements before purchasing and applying to your production envirnoment.

Please note the trail version of the software is a full working version of the Pro edition.

Best Regards
Eddie Davis
Red Gate Software
Technical Support

stefanp

Thanks for your propt reply.

I see the Red Gate backup/restore process as straight forward but if you don't mind, can you provide more detail on the following:

The SQL Server 2005 is located on a virtual server located at the hosting provider. This database is behind a firewall. I am not clear on how I can connect to this SQL Server 2005 database from my development environment (which is also behind a firewall) so that that I can copy the contents of this database to a local SQL Server 2005 Express database.

Thanks,

Stefan Pantu
Computer Software Connection, Inc.
southfloridakiteboarding.com

stefanp

stefanp wrote:

Thanks for your propt reply.

I see the Red Gate backup/restore process as straight forward but if you don't mind, can you provide more detail on the following:

The SQL Server 2005 is located on a virtual server located at the hosting provider. This database is behind a firewall. I am not clear on how I can connect to this SQL Server 2005 database from my development environment (which is also behind a firewall) so that that I can copy the contents of this database to a local SQL Server 2005 Express database.

Thanks,

Stefan Pantu
Computer Software Connection, Inc.
southfloridakiteboarding.com

Would someone at Redgate mind posting a reply to this question?

There are several developers on the dotnetnuke website with a post at

http://www.dotnetnuke.com/Community/For ... aspx#92877

who are eagelry anticipating a reply.

Thanks,

Stefan Pantu
Computer Software Connection Inc.

Eddie D

Hi Stefan

Sorry for the delay in replying back to you.

When you first sent up a SQL Data Compare project, you must specify the location and name of each database you want to compare.

Details of each database server, authentication method and database name. For your hosted server, you can supply either the domain name\server name or IP address. The authentication will be the username and password supplied by your hosting company and finally the database name.

For your local SQL Server Express, you repeat the process but this entering details of the local Server, authentication and database name.

By default SQL Server uses TCP port 1433, if your hosting company uses a different port number, you can this port by typing the server name or IP address, port number as follows:

server_name,1432

You can also force SQL Data Compare to use the TCP network protocol when it makes the connection by entering the the following example:

TCP:server_name,1432 or if using the default port TCP:server_name.

SQL Data Compare will analyse each database and highlight to you the differences in the data between the two databases.

For example data that will only exist in you hosting server. Data that exists only in your local server, data that exists in both databases but is different and data that is identical.

You can then generate a synchronization script that will update one of the databases so that the data in each database becomes identical.

SQL Data Compare is not a backup/restore process. It is a simple tool for comparing and synchronizing data between two databases.

Best Regards
Eddie