DB Ghost Packager Plus
Makes deploying your database changes easy
Packager Plus is a groundbreaking product that lets you package your source database (schema AND lookup data)
along with the DB Ghost compare-and-synchronization DLL into a single executable file. What you then have is a single installer that can update any previous version
of your database to the latest seamlessly. The power of this approach is that all variances in the target schema and data are handled dynamically by the installer thus ensuring
that differing target schemas and data are all perfectly synchronized to the latest source.
Why is this different from the Packager?
The Packager product simply wraps a fixed delta script within an exe for
convenience. Packager Plus, on the other hand, packages the DB Ghost Compare and Upgrade engine (DLLs) and your
entire source database definition into a single
executable file. This means that the install actually runs the core DB Ghost engine during the install which, in turn,
means it can account for any variances in the target schema and data dynamically.
Effectively this would be like running the DB Ghost Change Manager product at the client site to upgrade the
customers database. If the customers database differs in any way from the expected structure DB Ghost will
seamlessly handle those differences ensuring a successful outcome. So, instead of packaging a fixed delta script
that takes a database from, say, version 4 to version 5 you can create a single installer that can take version 1
to version 5, version 2 to version 5 and so on...
Features
- Creates a single executable that can upgrade ANY database to the latest source
- No coding required (data migrations etc. where semantic knowledge is needed can
be implemented in custom scripts)
- Works from an existing database or a set of object scripts in the filesystem (or
under source control)
- Can create a day one database from the same installer exe
- 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
- Easy to integrate with your overall product installer
- Works with SQL 2000, 2005 and 2008 and Windows 2000, 2003, 2008, XP and Vista
(32bit and 64bit)
Benefits
- One click installation at customer site
- Can upgrade a target schema and data dynamically at install time rather than simply running a static delta script
- Can account for any variations in the target schema and data and bring it back to an exact match of the source schema contained within the install package. No more, no less
- Can take a schema from version 1 to the latest version using one, all encompassing installer
Screenshots
After starting the Packager and Packager Plus application you choose the "Start a new DB Ghost Packager Plus project" option:
Here the option to build from a set of source DROP/CREATE scripts in the file system is chosen:
The directories containing the scripts are specified on this page:
A template database is required for the database level properties (filegroup, collation etc.):
The scripts are used to build a script that creates the source database:
Finally the name and location of the new installer can be chosen as well as compression and silent install credentials:
The installer that is created, when run, shows the following UI:
Finally, this is the successfully completed upgrade of the target database:
