DB Ghost Packager

Overview


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The Packager lets you create and package a difference script into a simple executable file. The Packager can synchronise a target database to either a source database or a set of object DROP/CREATE scripts and incorporate the resulting difference script into an EXE or a C# project. The Packager therefore makes it very simple to deploy database upgrades or incorporate them into an overall software install package.

Although the Packager is useful for upgrading databases from one specific version to another, for a solution that can upgrade any previous version of a database to the latest see our Packager Plus product.

Create a build script and a difference script

The Packager uses the power of the DB Ghost Change Manager engine to compare and synchronize two databases or a set of scripts vs a database or any combination of the two. The result is a single difference, or delta, script. You can also, optionally, create a build script to enable the installer to create a brand new database.

Compile it into an EXE or a C# project

Once the difference and build scripts have been created they are seamlessly incorporated into either an EXE file or a C# project. The latter allows finer grained control over the look and feel of the install process and dovetails with other deployment media (for example, it is easy to call an EXE from within an MSI).

The Packager is delivered as a sub function of the Packager and Packager Plus™ application which itself is contained within the single installer (DBGhost.msi)

Features

  • Creates a difference script between two databases
  • Creates a difference script between a set of DROP/CREATE scripts and a database for full version control
  • Creates a build script for the creation of a new database at a customer site
  • Creates a simple install EXE for point and click installation at a customers site
  • Command line or API execution for total process automation in daily/continuous builds etc. (requires Automation Toolkit™)
  • SessionSave facility lets you save your wizard answers for later reuse

Benefits

  • Simple, easy to use interface makes creating installation media a no-brainer
  • Produces a delta script that is guaranteed-to-work first time, every time
  • One click installation at customer site
  • Excellent value for money, especially when compared to the time it takes to produce installs manually

Screenshots

After starting the Packager and Packager Plus application you choose the "Start a new DB Ghost Packager project" option:

Choose the location of the "source database". It can be an actual database or a set of DROP/CREATE scripts held under source control, in the file system or a single script output from a DB Ghost Builder run:

Choose the location of the source database:

Select which tables are to be included in the comparison and, therefore, the difference script:

Choose the location of the "target database". Again, it can be an actual database or a set of DROP/CREATE scripts held under source control, in the file system or a single script output from a DB Ghost Builder run:

Choose the location of the target database:

This shows the completion of the first step in the process - the generation of the difference script:

Finally these are the choices for the creation of either an EXE or a C# project as the output: