Using xSQL Builder

Creating a package using the user interface

 

The user interface wizard guides you through the steps of configuring a package:

• Step 1: Allows you to start a new configuration or modify a saved one.
  
  
  
  
  
• Step 2: Collects the information about the master database. This is the database the schema of which will be pushed to the client machine. Note that you should be able to access the master database from the machine where you are running the xSQL Builder.
  
  
  
  
  
• Step 3: Allows you to choose between synchronizing an existing destination database or creating a new one.
  
  
  
  
  
• Step 4: Depending on the option you selected in the previous screen as to whether synchronize an existing database or create a new one, this step presents you one of the followings:
  • Synchronize an existing database on the client machine: When the package is deployed, it will synchronize the client database with the master database. You can select to backup the destination before the synchronization. If you choose to do so, you should provide a location of the backup file, the type of the backup (full or differential) and the option to overwrite the backup file. Note that the backup path must exist on the client machine, the interface cannot check it at the time you configure the package.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Create a new blank database: When the package is deployed, it will create a new database on the client machine first and then synchronize with the master snapshot. You should specify the name of the database, the path on which it should be created and the recovery model. Note that the database creation path should exist on the client.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Create the database from a database backup file: When the package is deployed, it will create the destination database from the backup file by performing a restore and then synchronize it with the master database. You should specify a backup file that will be used to create the client database. If you can choose to embed the backup file in the executable, xSQL Builder compresses the backup file and adds it to the executable package. If the backup file is not embedded, it should exist on client machine.
    
    
    
    
    
  • Create a new database from a T-SQL script: When the package is deployed, it will create the destination database from the T-SQL script you specify and then synchronize it with the master database. You can use scripts to create complex database that contains, for example, multiple filegroups or special settings.
    
    
    
    
    
• Step 5: Provides the custom scripts options. The custom script is a T-SQL script and should be executed before the synchronization (pre-sync) or after it (post-sync). You can specify a single file or the whole content of a folder as custom script. When the folder is selected, all the files with .sql extensions in that folder will be executed in the alphabetical order. You have to option to embed the scripts, in which case xSQL Builder compresses and add them into the executable package. If you choose not to embed them, the script files must exist on the client machine on which the package will be deployed.
  
  
  
  
  
• Step 6: Provides logging options. You can choose to generate three types of logs:
  - Operational Log: Contains information about the actions being performed on client machine when the package is executed.
  - Synchronization Log: Contains details about the actions performed by the synchronization script.
  - Error Log: Contains information about errors that have occurred on the client machine.
  
  
  Note that the log path you specify must exists on the client machine. You can also choose to overwrite the log files and use a specific encoding. By default logs are written using ANSI encoding.
  
  
  
• Step 7: Provides notification options. You can choose to send an email notification when the package on the client machine fails, succeeds or when it completes. The notification is email-based and requires an SMTP mail server along with the necessary credentials. You can specify a designated email address where the notification will be sent to and the senders email address. If the process fails, by default the error log is appended to the failure email notification.
  
  
  
  
  
• Step 8: Presents some additional settings:
  - Output Package: It is the full name of the executable package.
  - Template Folder: It is the path where the C# template classes are located.
  
  
  
  
  

Once you have completed the wizard, you can save configuration settings to a file and generate the package by clicking on the Finish button.