Use this utility to execute DDL and SQL scripts against a database

The tool is a command-line utility that you point at a folder containing sql scripts, which (by convention) need to be organized in a certain way. Here's a small example to get a feel of it:

migrate.exe --directory=path/to/scripts --server=.\sqlexpress --database=MyDb

This command runs all migration scripts in the folder pointed to against a SQL Express database, using integrated security.

By default, first all scripts in a folder called 'Migrations' will be executed (in strict alphabetical order). Scripts may be organized in subfolders, in which case the folders will also be treated in alphabetical order. However, once a migration script has been performed from a 'newer' folder, it is not allowed to add new migrations in an 'earlier' folder.

Migrations are tracked inside the database, in a table called 'Migrations'. Once a migration has been performed, it can not be changed. Also, new versions of a migration package should always include all previous migrations, with the same name in the same order.

The Migrations table has the following layout (note that the exact data type depends on the database on which the migrations are run):

ScriptName (string): the name of the script (relative to the Migrations folder)
Checksum   (string): a MD5 hash of the script content
Content    (string): the full content of the script
ExecutedOn (date)  : the (local) date/time when this script was executed

For added convenience, the tool also supports running additional sql scripts, in addition to the migration scripts themselfves.

After the migrations have been run, by default all scripts in all other subfolders are executed. These scripts can be data loads, updates of views or stored procedures, etc. The only limitation is that these scripts should be idempotent at all times, and consistent with the current state of the database as it is represented by the set of migrations.

It is possible to fine-tune this behaviour and have a pre-migration phase as well, using the -pre and -post switches, where you specify a comma-seperated list of folders that must be executed before resp. after the migrations. It is highly recommended to only include 'generic', idem-potent scripts in the pre-migration phase, otherwise this folder will very quickly become a source of severe headaches.

Given this folder structure:

Scripts
├───01_DataLoads
|   ├───01_Phase1
|   |   ├───001_referencedata1.sql
|   |   └───002_samples.sql
|   └───02_Phase2
|       └───001_referencedata2.sql
├───02_ViewsAndSprocs
|   ├───001_views.sql
|   └───002_sprocs.sql
└───Migrations
    ├───001_migration1.sql
    └───002_migration2.sql

The scripts in this structure will be run in this order:

Scripts\Migrations\001_migration1.sql
Scripts\Migrations\002_migration2.sql
Scripts\01_DataLoads\01_Phase1\001_referencedata1.sql
Scripts\01_DataLoads\01_Phase1\002_samples.sql
Scripts\01_DataLoads\02_Phase2\002_referencedata2.sql
Scripts\02_ViewsAndSprocs\001_views.sql
Scripts\02_ViewsAndSprocs\002_sprocs.sql

  --server=VALUE         

The db server. For SQL Server, this is a string of the form 'servername\instance' (e.g. localhost\sqlexpress), or just 'servername' in case there's just a default instance). For Oracle, you can use either a registered TNS name, or (using the EZCONNECT feature), use a string of the form 'server[:port[/service]]', e. g. 'localhost:1521/XE'

  --user=VALUE           

The database username (when no user/password specified, integrated security is assumed)

  --password=VALUE       

The database password (when no user/password specified, integrated security is assumed)

  --database=VALUE       

The database name (initial catalog)

  --directory=VALUE      

Absolute or relative path to folder containing the migration scripts

  --whatif               

Do not actually run the scripts, just report what would be executed).

  --help                 

Print help

  --connectionString=VALUE

The complete connection string

  --providerName=VALUE   

The database provider invariant name. The default is System.Data.SqlClient). For other provider names, the corresponding .dll containing the provider implementation must be deployed alongside the migration utility (e.g., for Oracle: Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client.dll).

  --schema=VALUE         

Db schema for Migrations table (if different from the default for this user). For Sql server, the default schema is "dbo". For Oracle, the default schema is the same as the user name.

  --reinitialize         

Will clear the database and re-run all migrations. Unless --force is specified, this is only allowed for local databases. Use with care!

  --force                

When used with --reinitialize, allows to restage a remote db. Use with care!

migrate.exe --directory=path/to/scripts --reinitialize \
            --server=localhost:1521/XE --user=(user) --password=(pass) \
            --schema=MYSCHEMA
            --providerName=Oracle.ManagedDataAccess.Client 

Drops all user objects and re-runs the migrations in the given folder against the schema MYSCHEMA of a locally installed Oracle XE instance. The user must exist, and have been granted sufficient rights in that schema.

migrate.exe --directory=path/to/scripts --server=mydbserver --database=MyDb

(Incrementally) runs all migrations in the given directory against the default instance running on server mydbserver. Integrated Security is used, so the user under which the command is run should have sufficient rights.