How do you version your database schema? [closed]

Answer 1

I don't manage deltas. I make changes to a master database and have a tool that creates an XML based build script based on the master database.

When it comes time to upgrade an existing database I have a program that uses the XML based build script to create a new database and the bare tables. I then copy the data over from the old database using INSERT INTO x SELECT FROM y and then apply all indexes, constraints and triggers.

New tables, new columns, deleted columns all get handled automatically and with a few little tricks to adjust the copy routine I can handle column renames, column type changes and other basic refactorings.

I wouldn't recommend this solution on a database with a huge amount of data but I regularly update a database that is over 1GB with 400 tables.

Answer 2

I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I've developed an internal web app to track changes to database schemas and create versioned update scripts.

This tool is called Brazil and is now open source under a MIT license. Brazil is ruby / ruby on rails based and supports change deployment to any database that Ruby DBI supports (MySQL, ODBC, Oracle, Postgres, SQLite).

Support for putting the update scripts in version control is planned.

Answer 3

I am interested in this topic too.

There are some discussions on this topic in the Django wiki.

Interestingly, it looks like CakePHP has schema versioning built-in using just cake schema generate command.

Answer 4

Some months ago I searched tool for versioning MySQL schema. I found many useful tools, like Doctrine migration, RoR migration, some tools writen in Java and Python.

But no one of them was satisfied my requirements.

My requirements:

1. No requirements , exclude PHP and MySQL
2. No schema configuration files, like schema.yml in Doctrine
3. Able to read current schema from connection and create new migration script, than represent identical schema in other installations of application.

I started to write my migration tool, and today I have beta version.

Please, try it, if you have an interest in this topic. Please send me future requests and bugreports.

Source code: bitbucket.org/idler/mmp/src Overview in English: bitbucket.org/idler/mmp/wiki/Home Overview in Russian: antonoff.info/development/mysql-migration-with-php-project

Answer 5

You might take a look at another, similar thread: How do I version my MS SQL database in SVN?.