Getting CI Right for SQL Server

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Getting CI right for SQL Server
Alex Yates

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
DLM Consultant
workingwithdevs.com
alex.yates@dlmconsultants.com
AlexYates
@_AlexYates_

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
@_AlexYates_ | #ManSSUG

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Farm Credit Services of America (FCSA)
• 100 person IT team, 14 sub-teams
• Database version control inconsistent
• Deployment process manual
• Delivery was slow and unreliable

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What is CI?

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#ManSSUG
What is CI?
Continuous Integration (CI) is a development practice that
requires developers to integrate code into a shared repository
several times a day.
Each check-in is then verified by an automated build, allowing
teams to detect problems early.
www.thoughtworks.com/continuous-integration

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http://www.jamesshore.com/Blog/Continuous-Integration-on-a-Dollar-a-Day.html

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#ManSSUG
• Growing test suite
• Delivery faster and more reliable
• Standardised source control process
• Automated builds/deploys from source control

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#ManSSUG
The deployment pipeline

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Databases are hard
• Schema changes vs existing data
• Reference data vs production data
• Teamwork and testing
• Database drift (change outside
process, e.g. production hot-fixes)

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#ManSSUG
Agenda
Version control
Model vs migrations
Automated builds
Unit testing
Drift
General advice

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Version Control

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#ManSSUG
Version control - LMGTFY

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#ManSSUG
There’s
more than
one way to
skin a cat

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There’s
more than
one way to
skin
automate
a cat

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#ManSSUG
V1 V2
Migrations-based solutions

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V1 V2
State-based solutions

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“There's nothing more
reliable than keeping
track of exactly the
scripts you intend to run,
and running them, without
trying to compare state
and guess.”

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#ManSSUG
“There's nothing more
reliable than keeping
track of exactly the
scripts you intend to run,
and running them, without
trying to compare state
and guess.”
Paul Stovell,
built Octopus Deploy
http://docs.octopusdeploy.com/display/OD/SQL+Server+databases

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“As soon as you have
multiple changes on a
single aspect of an object,
ordering and the ability to
detect which change
needs to be made gets
very complicated.”

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“As soon as you have
multiple changes on a
single aspect of an object,
ordering and the ability to
detect which change
needs to be made gets
very complicated.”
Gert Drapers,
built DataDude
https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/gertd/2009/06/05/declarative-database-development/

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Migrations vs state
http://workingwithdevs.com/delivering-databases-migrations-vs-state/

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#ManSSUG
State
 Easier (less control)
 Better for sprocs/functions
 Better for large/distributed
teams
 Better for frequent changes
 Better for dependency
nightmares
 Drift: rolled back
 Better for development
Migrations
 More control (harder/needs
discipline)
 Better for data migrations
 Better for small teams
 Better for infrequent
changes
 Better for simple data stores
 Drift: ignored
 Better for automation
VS

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
DLMConsultants.com/model-vs-mig

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Continuous Integration

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Build servers

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VCS Build Test Sync
Upgrade scriptDatabase
package
Test
results
The automated build process

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#ManSSUG
Builds/Tests
are run on
CI agents
Builds/Tests are
managed on
CI server
CI
server
How do build servers work?

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Unit testing

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Unit testing
www.tsqlt.org

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www.tsqlt.org
Unit testing

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http://workingwithdevs.com/three-odd-attitudes-towards-database-unit-testing-that-make-me-angry/

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“When making changes
directly on production, you are
making a decision that the
delay due to poor cycle time is
more expensive than the risk of
making a mistake.”

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#ManSSUG
“When making changes
directly on production, you are
making a decision that the
delay due to poor cycle time is
more expensive than the risk of
making a mistake.”
AlexYates,
built this slide

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#ManSSUG
The bad stuff:
• Accidental roll-backs
(state)
• Failed deployments
(migrations)
• Environment inconsistency
(migrations)

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#ManSSUG
Drift
Strategies to help
 Improve cycle time
 Strict security policies
 Monitor drift (play with DDL
triggers)
 Redgate DLM Dashboard (free)
https://www.simple-talk.com/sql/database-administration/database-deployment-the-bits-database-version-drift/

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Drift
Strategies to help
 Improve cycle time
 Strict security policies
 Monitor drift (play with DDL
triggers)
 Redgate DLM Dashboard (free)
http://www.red-gate.com/products/dlm/dlm-dashboard/

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
• Teamwork above tools/process
• Don’t do *all the things* at once - start with VCS and drift
• Don’t forget tests
• Decouple database from other systems
• Learn CI on an easy database/project
• Use the right process/tool for your database and team
• Ask me for help!
General advice

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
• Standardised VCS, CI and RM processes
• FCSA delivering much more efficiently
• FCSA process model for sister organisations
• The team all have excellent CV’s

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
• Standardised VCS, CI and RM processes
• FCSA delivering much more efficiently
• FCSA process model for sister organisations
• The team all have excellent CV’s
http://www.codeaperture.io/2016/09/13/how-redgate-helped-define-our-process/

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Siloed sparrows suck at DLM

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#ManSSUG
Heated hippos are closed minded

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
State
 Easier (less control)
 Better for sprocs/functions
 Better for large/distributed
teams
 Better for frequent changes
 Better for dependency
nightmares
 Drift: rolled back
 Better for development
Migrations
 More control (harder/needs
discipline)
 Better for data migrations
 Better for small teams
 Better for infrequent
changes
 Better for simple data stores
 Drift: ignored
 Better for automation
VS
Clever people consider options

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Use appropriate tools

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Only hire developers who write tests

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#ManSSUG
Hunt his smug face - make pain on it

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
This stuff makes a big difference
http://www.codeaperture.io/2016/09/13/how-redgate-helped-define-our-process/

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
DLMConsultants.com/ci

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Questions?
Links: DLMConsultants.com/ci
Contact me: alex.yates@dlmconsultants.com

@_AlexYates_
#ManSSUG
Image sources
Author Source Information
Chiltepinster Wikimedia Commons Mocking Bird Argument.jpg – Wikimedia Commons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share
Alike 3.0 Unported license. Source on Wikimedia Commons: “Own work”
Bit Boy Flickr The elephant in the room – Flickr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Nils Rinaldi Flickr Hippo fight 2/3 – Flickr. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
My own collection Taken by/property of Alex Yates Kitten, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat!”
Memegenerator.net Memegenerator.net I don’t always edit database. Content designed to be shared and delivered with credit to memegenerator.net.
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