Reviews
Review: SQL Packager
SQL Packager 1.0
$690
Red Gate Software Limited
Cambridge, United Kingdom
(866) 733-4283 or +44 870 160 0037
www.red-gate.com
SQL Packager is the latest addition to the growing array of SQL Server
tools available from Red Gate (previous tools in the series handle
comparison and synchronization chores). This one is very simple and very
useful indeed. The goal is to make it easy to install or upgrade a
database on a customer's server, and it's hard to see how it could be
easier.
Using SQL Packager is simple and follows the workflow you'd probably
expect: select a server, select a database, select the objects to
script. It then builds the scripts and - here's the key - turns the
result into a .NET executable or a C# project. By giving you the source
code in the project, SQL Packager makes it easy to integrate their work
with any other installation utility you might be using, or to add your
own branding to the user interface.
Take the executable and run it on the target machine, and it prompts for
essential logon and server information, and then does its thing. Like I
said, simple. I was up and running within moments of installation, and
it didn't take that much longer to duplicate a database from one test
server to another. Everything I tried worked well. If your work involves
delivering or updating SQL Server databases, take it for a spin; you can
download a 14-day trial as part of their SQL Bundle.