I have a database on one server that I need to copy to another server. I can do this manually using the Export Data task, which is fine for a one time export, but I would like to speed this up as it is going to be repeated.
The database will always contain the same set of tables, I just need to get a copy of this database with it's tables and their data from one server to another.
I'd like to create some sort of reusable tool that allows you to specify the source and target database servers and then copies this specific database from one to another. Is this possible?
The Export Data task in SQL 2005 and later uses SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) under the hood. You can save the package you're already using and run it on a schedule or on demand. You can also edit it (once it is saved) using the Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS).
At the end of the Export wizard (on the "Save and Run Package" screen), you can tick the "Save SSIS Package" check-box to store the package either within SQL server or on the file system. The file system is probably simpler.
Once you have the package you can execute it from the command line using the dtexec tool, or from a SQL Agent job using an Execute SSIS task.
SSIS is too big a subject to cover in full here - there are decent tutorials within SQL server books online if you need more details - alternatively, as another SO question if you get stuck.
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I'm looking for a way to duplicate an existing database, tables and data onto a different development machine. Using SQL server 2008;
I have several tools i usually use for duplicating databases or i just restore a database dump, but i cannot use any of these. I have no direct access to the database machine i can logon via SQL enterprise manager and run queries stored procedures etc. But i have no access to the file system so i'm unable to create or copy a database dump. I cannot install or connect any tools to the database as i have to logon via a remote desktop. I also only have access to copy text files on and off the network.
I would like to run a script to generate a script to create the tables, views stored procedures etc and a script to populate the tables with some data.
I need to create a test environment so i can run tests and develop new features without affecting the live DB.
Assuming you have access to the database via SSMS, this is the approach I would take, though it could be time consuming:
Right click on the Database
Hover 'Tasks'
Hover 'Generate Scripts' and complete the process, it's self explanatory.
And from there it will generate a script for the Database architecture. This is the quick portion.
Next download Visual Studio and get the Integration Services add on. Using SSIS packages you'll be able to select all data from each source table/database and then insert the data into the destination table/database. Hope this helps you get on the right path.
I have a google doc that I'm using to update a table in a sql table and at the moment I do it manually; copy and paste the data from the google doc. into excel, remove the columns that I don't need then save as a CSV and upload.
I'm wondering if there is a way that I can automate this? The report it's for is daily and the upload is becoming a bit of a bore!
You can also go the python-route by utilising the following python libraries: gspread, oauth2client, pandas and sqlalchemy (source). If you want to automate it, use cron or crontab to run your python-script on a hourly, daily, weekly or monthly basis.
What DBMS do you use?
If you use Microsoft SQL Server, you can use SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services), the easiest way to do this for a novice would be to right-click on the database in SQL Server Management Studio --> Tasks --> Import Data, then follow the wizard to set up the data source (flat file / Excel file etc.) and the data destination (DB table). Once you've finished with the wizard, you can save the package and re-use it later on (or even automate it via SQL Agent job). You can edit the package in Visual Studio (aka SQL Server Data Tools) prior to deployment/automation if needed.
More on SSIS: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms169917.aspx
Every month I get an updated list of USPS ZIP codes, which I dutifully import into my SQL Server 2005 database. It's really a simple process, and during the import process, there's a little tick-box that allows me to "Save as SSIS package". Which, of course, I did.
But this is the really crazy part... now that I've saved it - where is it? There is no documentation I can find that tells me where this supposed SSIS package can be found, so I can run it again!
When you connect to SQL Server, connect to Integration Services, not Database Engine. You should be able to find your packages within the structure that appears.
You have two targets to save too:
SQL Server (stored in MSDB)
File System (you get to choose folder etc)
What did you choose?
I have been developing in VB.NET and SQL Server 2008 for a while now, but haven't got into live installs yet. In the database system I used be on it had the ability to archive multiple tables into a .dga file, as it was called. I could then restore the .dga file into another database or on another server.
I'm looking for the easiest way to accomplish something similar in SQL Server.
If you want to transfer specific tables, then using Data Transformation Services (right click on the database in SQL Server Management studio and select "Import Data" and it will bring the dialog up for it). Of course, this assumes that you have both databases available to you.
If you are comfortable with replacing the database as a whole, you can easily backup the database and then restore it into a new one through SQL Server Management studio (or through calling the appropriate SP).
I would go for one of the following :
From MS SQL Management Studio, right click on the database / Tasks / Generate scripts
From Visual Studio, in the Server Explorer tab, "publish to provider"
Both will launch a wizard allowing you to export the tables you want the way you want (including data or not, creation scripts or not, etc etc.)
If you want to move tabless without data, the simpliest thing is to script the tables you want and run the script.
We script all our db changes and commit them to subversion and then run them as part of the deplyment process.
If you want to put the whole database on prod including data (scrub out test records first!), then do a backup and restore onthe other server.
For future changes, wescript all our db changes and commit them to subversion and then run them as part of the deployment process. There also are tools that look at the structural differnces bewteen the two servers and creates scripts. REd-Gate's SQL Compare is really good for this.
In addition to HLGEM's suggestions, you can look into SSIS if this is an ongoing process.
I have a hosting account with servergrid.com. I want to backup my database, they say I have to use Sql Server Integration Service to backup the database and I would need a commercial version of Sql Server management studio.
I have Sql Server 2005 Developer Edition. I have no idea how to do SSIS backup. I tried playing around with the Sql Server Integration Services Project in VS2005 .. but I failed.
Google also seems to have no step-by-step guide for Non-DBA's like me.
Can anybody point me to/write me a Step-by-Step instructions on how to backup database using SSIS? and also if possible how to restore the database again to the host
SSIS is not really a database backup tool.
If you have a fixed number of tables, you can export the data from SQL Server to comma-separated or raw files - i.e. do the data export using SSIS. It is easy to create such package using SSIS project if you have small number of tables. But if you have a lot of tables it is all manual process. Also it could be hard to automate this - every time you add/remove/change a table or a column, you have to regenerate the SSIS package used to export your data.
SSIS does only data export, so you need a separate tool to do metadata backup (table and stored proc definitions). You can export the metadata using Management Studio (simply script database to text file).
One can call these two tools together a poor man backup tool, but if you metadata changes often you'll probably want to use the real SQL backup tool. Not sure why the hosting guys say you have to use SSIS - maybe they don't want to give you backup permissions to ensure DB safety, but SSIS is not the simplest way to do database backup.
You have a local drive on this machine, correct?
Get access to the sql prompt, through their tools or sqlcmd.
BACKUP DATABASE MYDB TO DISK = 'E:\backups\mydb.bak'
Then FTP that file offsite.
Otherwise, forget these creeps that make you use SSIS to perform tasks that can be done with one line of text.