Are there any issues and/or gotchas going from SQL Server Express 2008 to SQL Azure? - sql

I'm sure there are, I'm wondering what they are and if there is any upgrade/conversion documentation relative to taking a standard SQL server database and moving it to SQL Azure.

In addition to Jason's link, you should check out these links:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff394115.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee336250.aspx
See if there's any features you're using that's missing. If not, go go go :-)

I would try running the SQL Azure Migration Wizard to check if there's anything that's not obvious that you might have missed.

Related

Can I restore a backup which was on SQL Express to sql server server 2008 without any problems

I am going to do a customer SQL upgrade and they currently have SQL Express and I want to upgrade it to Microsoft SQL server 2008.
Will it be okay to restore the SQL Express backup to Microsoft SQL Server 2008?
First off, the comments seem to mention MySQL. I can see that you edited it to say SQL Express. If it is indeed MS SQL Express then yes, as SMM said it will work.
I have done this a few times before, and it worked just fine. Though rather than a backup/restore I would move the .mdf file.
This is done by detaching the DB from the Express instance and attaching it to the Server 2008 instance; this can be easily done via sqlcmd or the Studio Manager. The steps can vary based on systems(s) setup. As such, I did a google search to see if there existed a step by step guide for this rather than typing a bunch of scenarios as shots in the dark. There are a plethora of them:
I just Googled: move sql express .mdf to sql server 2008
I also found this and it would seem to be a good match for your situation and has good information:
http://www.mipsis.com/help/Moving%20SQL%20Express%20Database%20to%20SQL%20Server.pdf
Let me know how it goes, and if you need specific assistance with the process please follow up.
I have done SQL Express to SQL 2000 and SQL 2005 successfully in the (distant) past. I am sure this will work. I don't remember any specific caveats other than making sure that you don't try to go from a later version of Express to an earlier version of SQL.

How can I get SSMS to provide Auto Completion for SQL Azure?

I'm trying to identify a SQL Server Management Studio option (when writing/running queries) that provides table/column auto-complete functionality in the query editor. Unfortunately, SSMS seems to stop giving you Intellisense when you're connected to a SQL Azure database. Is there any way to fix this?
Are there any options, hacks, plugins or anything else that can accomplish this?
I've finally stumbled upon an option. It's non-ideal but it is certainly a huge step in the right direction!
dbForge SQL Complete is a SSMS plugin that replaces SSMS's built-in Intellisense with its own auto-complete engine. This is a HUGE improvement when connected to SQL Azure, but so far the free version feels like a step backwards when connected to traditional SQL Server instances. Overall, I think we're going to prefer using this over not using it. I'll come back in a couple days to report how well (or not) it's going.
At least it's an option, though!
New Release of SQL Server Management Studio V17.2 now support Intelliscence so no need to have any other tools for this.
Please note that this will only work in case of SQL Server Authentication, that means logged in using SA Instance.
https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/3100677/ssms-2016-would-be-nice-to-have-intellisense-on-azure-sql-databases
Visual Studio have enabled basic IntelliSense for Azure SQL, but it isn't avalaible easily.
You have to click on table, select from drop menu DROP AND CREATE TO -> New query window and then IntelliSense will work. If you simply use New query it will not.

Fake mysql server to run sql commands on for practice

I am trying to get better with SQL commands, but I really do not have a database currently set up that I can practice on. Does anyone know of an all-in-one program or an online service that has a database set up and filled with data that I could practice my SQL commands on/in?
Frankly, I do not really know of any GOOD online site for doing this.
Google gave me this site but i tried it out and its really a bit cumbersome and difficult to work with.
I would really suggest that you will find it a LOT easier to install some database like MySQL / SQL Server Express on your machine and try things out.
Installing something like SQL Server Express is really easy. You can just download the db + tools from here, a quick install and you will be all set to go
For the sample data, you can always download the Adventureworks database.
Step by step details on how to get the AdventureWorks database running with SQL Express are listed here
Google's your friend
http://www.mysqltutorial.org/mysql-sample-database.aspx
I found this site pretty much helping.
http://sqlzoo.net/wiki/SELECT_basics
Although they use mariaDB still same queries.. So no worries.

What is a good framework for Database Migrations that is compatibile with SQL Server?

I've been spoiled by ActiveRecords. So I'm on the lookout for migration system that can be applied to SQL Server, and either is executed as Java application, or a Win32 Executable. (Of course further compatibility with other DB's and host OS's is welcome.)
The real desire is having a clear schema change application with roll back, ideally in something nicer then SQL so it can be DB system agnostic.
The hitch I've found for alternatives that are Java based, is lack of clean support for the Microsoft JDBC.
Looking forward to any suggestions.
Check out Ben Sheirmans excellent post on the topic:
http://flux88.com/blog/net-database-migration-tool-roundup/
I tried Tarantino and it worked OK, but you're still locked to sql scripts for sql server.
/Anders
Try Mite. I wrote it and have been using it for years successfully.
https://github.com/soitgoes/mite
If you turn on "Auto Generate Change Scripts" then Sql Management Studio will generate the sql that you can save into your mite file. No more writing migrations just let Management Studio do it for you! Then if you ever need to custom craft something to alter data you can simply do that in sql and save it to a migration.
Let me know what you think.

Profiler for Sql CE

i wonder if there is something similar to Sql Profiler for Sql Server Compact Edition?
i use SqlCE as backend for a desktop application and it would be really great to have something like sql profiler for this embedded database.
or at least something simliar to the NHibernate show_sql feature...
any ideas?
thanks
j.
The only tested solution I know of that could solve this problem is Altiris Profiler which is a tool I designed at my previous job, but is closed source and not-for-sale.
The way you would hook it in, is by creating a factory for your commands and proxing them for profiling purposes before using them (using RealProxy). Its really light weight and about 10 lines of code to implement.
On my question Flory talks about a new tool called dynaTrace that may also be able to solve this problem as well.
I don't think that would work - CE seems like a totally different beast.
You can enable some logging that might help you:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms171949(SQL.90).aspx
I tried to do this and managed to set the database up and connect from SSMS - you have to specify the alternate connection type of 'SQL Server Compact Edition'. Profiler has no such thing - and entering a path to the datafile for the 'database' field did nothing.
Try to install a Standard version (with the profiler) and you might be able to connect to the CE instance also.
I think that its possible that it could be done using the Default Profiler Trace Template (from Visual Studio 2008). I talk about using the template for a non-CE version of SQL in my weblog at: http://codingathome.blogspot.com/2009/04/create-sql-trace-and-read-it-using-sql.html .
Its possible that template would work for the CE version of SQL. I haven't tried it. Your milage might vary. I know that SQL CE doesn't support stored procedures so chances are this wont work. You might have to setup debugging in your code in order to trace queries.
Since CE doesn't support a stored procedure I bet you can still run the script as a .sql script and get the tracing events installed. Its worth a try.