Deploy SQL Server database project (SSDT) via command line
I have a SQL Server Database Project targeting a SQL Server 2012 RC0 database. The project was created in Visual Studio 2010 + SQL Server Data Tools CTP4. (The project type is different than the regular Visual Studio 2010 database projects -- it's the next version of SQL Developer Tools CTP3 Juneau)
It deploys fine in the IDE. How can I deploy it via the command line?
I tried VSDBCMD.exe but it expects a .deploymanifest file which is not created by the new project type.
Answer
Use sqlpackage.exe, located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\{version}\DAC\bin or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\{version}\DAC\bin where {version} =110 (SQL Server 2012), 120 (SQL Server 2014), etc.
Command line arguments:
/Action:{Extract|Report|Publish|Script} Specifies the action to be performed.
(short form /a)
/Quiet[+|-] Specifies whether detailed feedback is
suppressed. Defaults to False. (short
form /q)
/OverwriteFiles[+|-] Specifies if sqlpackage.exe should
overwrite existing files. Specifying
false causes sqlpackage.exe to abort
action if an existing file is
encountered. Default value is True.
(short form /of)
/SourceServerName:<string> Defines the name of the server hosting
the source database. (short form /ssn)
/SourceDatabaseName:<string> Defines the name of the source
database. (short form /sdn)
/SourceUser:<string> For SQL Server auth scenarios, defines
the SQL Server user to use to access
the source database. (short form /su)
/SourcePassword:<string> For SQL Server auth scenarios, defines
the password to use to access the
source database. (short form /sp)
/SourceTimeout:<int> Specifies the timeout for establishing
a connection to the source database in
seconds. (short form /st)
/SourceEncryptConnection[+|-] Specifies if SQL encryption should be
used for the source database
connection. (short form /sec)
/SourceTrustServerCertificate[+|-] Specifies whether to use SSL to
encrypt the source database connection
and bypass walking the certificate
chain to validate trust. (short form
/stsc)
/SourceConnectionString:<string> Specifies a valid SQL Server/Azure
connection string to the source
database. If this parameter is
specified it shall be used exclusively
of all other source parameters. (short
form /scs)
/SourceFile:<string> Specifies a source file to be used as
the source of action instead of a
database. If this parameter is used,
no other source parameter shall be
valid. (short form /sf)
/TargetServerName:<string> Defines the name of the server hosting
the target database. (short form /tsn)
/TargetDatabaseName:<string> Specifies an override for the name of
the database that is the target of
sqlpackage.exe Action. (short form
/tdn)
/TargetUser:<string> For SQL Server auth scenarios, defines
the SQL Server user to use to access
the target database. (short form /tu)
/TargetPassword:<string> For SQL Server auth scenarios, defines
the password to use to access the
target database. (short form /tp)
/TargetTimeout:<int> Specifies the timeout for establishing
a connection to the target database in
seconds. (short form /tt)
/TargetEncryptConnection[+|-] Specifies if SQL encryption should be
used for the target database
connection. (short form /tec)
/TargetTrustServerCertificate[+|-] Specifies whether to use SSL to
encrypt the target database connection
and bypass walking the certificate
chain to validate trust. (short form
/ttsc)
/TargetConnectionString:<string> Specifies a valid SQL Server/Azure
connection string to the target
database. If this parameter is
specified it shall be used exclusively
of all other target parameters. (short
form /tcs)
/TargetFile:<string> Specifies a target file (i.e., a
.dacpac files) to be used as the
target of action instead of a
database. If this parameter is used,
no other target parameter shall be
valid. This parameter shall be invalid
for actions that only support database
targets. (short form /tf)
/Properties:<string> A name value pair for a Publish
property, {PropertyName}={Value}.
Refer to the help for the Publish
action for valid property names.
(short form /p)
/Variables:<string> Optional only if /Action:Publish is
specified. Valid values for parameter
name shall be SQL Command variables
specified in the .dacpac file only.
Parameter names specified that are not
declared in the .dacpac shall result
in an error. Valid command variable
values shall be context-specific based
on the command variable itself (e.g.,
database name vs. schema names).
(short form /v)
/Profile:<string> Optional if /Action:Publish is
specified. Valid value is a file path
to a Publish Profile. A user shall be
able to use a Publish Profile to
define the collection of Publish
Properties to use for a Publish
episode. (short form /pr)
/OutputPath:<string> Required if /Action:Report or
/Action:Script is specified. Valid
value is a file path to where the
comparison report shall be written.
(short form /op)
@<file> Read response file for more options.
Example:
sqlpackage.exe /Action:Publish /SourceFile:C:\DbProject\bin\Debug\DbProject.dacpac /TargetServerName:localhost /TargetDatabaseName:TestDb
With target db details stored in a profile:
sqlpackage.exe /Action:Publish /SourceFile:C:\DbProject\bin\Debug\DbProject.dacpac /Profile:C:\DbProject\LocalDb.publish.xml
If you get the error "Unable to connect to target server" then make sure you are using the correct version of sqlpackage.exe (see here for more details).