This build includes many new features and fixed issues, including the following updates from previous releases.
4.1 New features
Windows .NET 4.0 support
- SQL Comparison Toolset 4.1 supports all Microsoft Windows operating systems using .NET 4.0.
SQL Schema Compare
- Enhanced user interface. SQL Schema Compare includes a new ribbon control that improves the usability of the tool.
- Entity filter replace schema filters. Entity filters replace schema filters used to filter data. In the user interface, you can access these filters from the context menu of the comparison grid. The command line interface includes three additional sample xml files that provide additional information about how to use the entity filters. For more information about using these filters, see the online help accessible from within SQL Comparison Toolset.
4.1 Fixed Issues
- This release removes a table dependency that negatively affected performance for some users with large databases.
- This release fixes a table scripting issue with the TEXTIMAGE_ON clause. SQL Server requires the TEXTIMAGE_ON clause when a table contains large binary fields, such as image, text, and ntext. This issue caused the SQL Server system catalog to become out-of-date and fail to report the clause properly. SQL Comparison Toolset 4.1 contains additional checks and scripts the TEXTIMAGE_ON only when it is required.
- SQL Comparison Toolset 4.1 includes a fix related to dependencies on SQL Server 2005. This issue occurred on some SQL Server 2008 databases when the compatibility level was set to SQL Server 2005.
4.0 New features
SQL Server 2014 Support
SQL Comparison Toolset 4.0 supports the use of SQL Server 2014 with the following notes:
SQL Schema Compare
SQL Data Compare
- Memory-Optimized tables . SQL Server 2014 supports memory tables except for custom keys. This issue is a limitation in SQL Server 2014 itself, which does not allow updates to the primary key columns of a memory table.
- Hash indexes . Hash indexes are fully supported in SQL Data Compare, which also considers these indexes when choosing the unique comparison key.
- ColumnStore indexes . ColumnStore indexes are supported by SQL Data Compare with the following exception. SQL Server 2014 does not allow data changes on a table that contains a non-clustered columnstore index. To synchronize this index, it is disabled before data synchronization, and then enabled after the sync is complete. Note that a clustered columnstore is updatable and does not need disabling before synchronization.
Filegroup support in SQL Schema Compare
SQL Schema Compare includes new options for working with filegroups and the filtergroup clause of database objects. The Compare Database Filegroups check box on the Schema Objects tab of the Comparison Options window indicates whether you want to compare and synchronize the database filegroups including the data files.
Filegroup data files also are supported including allowing the user to change the physical file mapped to a data file directly in the comparison grid. Note the following limitations:
- You can add a filegroup only to the database. Altering or dropping is not supported.
- You can add data files only to new filegroups. Dropping or event-adding data files to existing filegroups is not supported.
Filegroup mappings allow you to change the way filegroups are mapped, compared, scripted, and synchronized. SQL Comparison Toolset now offers the following options for mapping filegroups:
- Mapping by name . This is the default setting.
- Ignoring filegroups entirely . This option ensures that any changes in the filegroups do not trigger a schema difference by ignoring the filegroup clause of tables, indexes, and other database objects. The Compare Database Filegroups option determines whether filegroups at a database level, including data files, are compared and synchronized.
- Custom mapping . This option allows you to map filegroups as needed.
Note that filestream filegroups are mapped separately from regular filegroups, although the rules for mapping are the same.
Scripting the filegroup clause is a new option in the Filegroup Mapping Rules window that determines how the filegroup clause is scripted for some database objects. It affects only those objects that support the filegroup clause in tables, indexes, etc. and does not affect filegroups and partition schemes. When the Script the filegroup clause when synchronizing schema check box is clear, the filegroup clause is scripted using the DEFAULT filegroup or ignored in some cases.
New comparison options in SQL Data Compare
SQL Data Compare includes two new options for comparing data. The Compare and synchronize memory tables option in the Data Compare Options window allows you to compare and synchronize your memory tables. The Compare and synchronize columnstore tables option allows you to compare and synchronize your columnstore tables.
New SQL Comparison Toolset workspace
SQL Comparison Toolset 4.0 features a new, easier-to-use interface for navigating through session history.
- The navigation tree now offers two tabs to separate live databases from database snapshots that are added to the workspace.
- Workspace links are grouped at the top of the window.
- You can adjust the width of the tree panel for ease-of use.
- The Application Settings window now allows you to customize the look and feel of the workspace including changing the colors of sessions to group similar sessions together.
- The Customize Session window includes new sorting options allow you to organize and manage your session history, edit session data such as name, description, and count. The Execution Count field in the Customize Session window indicates the number of times a session is launched.
SQL Comparison Toolset removal from the SQL Toolbox framework
The SQL Comparison Toolset is now separated from the SQL Toolbox, meaning that it is no longer necessary to install the SQL Toolbox framework prior to installing SQL Comparison Toolset.
New CLI options
This release includes two new options for the command line interface. The CompareMemoryTables option indicates whether you want to compare and synchronize memory-optimized tables. The CompareColumnStoreTables option indicates whether you want to compare and synchronize columnstore tables.
4.0 Fixed Issues
SQL Schema Compare
- This release fixes an issue related to missing dependencies associated with database synonyms.
- An issue causing a "System.NullReferenceException" error appearing during a comparison is resolved. this issue resulted from missing data compression in the table that contains the indexes.
SQL Data Compare
- This release fixes an issue related to extended properties on foreign keys.
3.1 New features
Schema Compare and Data Compare
The new Full Screen function allows you to maximize the user interface work area by hiding the ribbon.
Schema Compare
- Schema Compare now supports the database COMPATIBILITY level. When the SQL Server compatibility is set to a previous version of the database, Schema Compare automatically detects the version and generates the appropriate script.
- You now can compare SQL Server system databases, such as master, model, msdb or tempdb. Previously system database were excluded from the comparison. System objects are still excluded on both the user and system databases.
- Users now can save the workspace to a custom file or location.
Data Compare
- Users now can save the workspace to a new file or location.
- Users now can change the location where the temp data related to table serialization is kept during data comparison. Previously the default location was the temp folder of the current user.
3.1 Fixed issues
Schema Compare
- This release fixes an issue in the rebuild script related to tables that contain an identity column with no matching column in the target database. The rebuild script in some cases was incomplete.
- Users no longer see excluded replicated tables in a comparison. An issue caused by incorrect readings from the SQL Server system catalog, Schema Compare did not always properly identify these replicated tables and included them by mistake.
- A conversion problem that flagged some tables as "non-comparable" when comparing the char/varchar/nchar/nchar/text data types between SQL 2005 and SQL 2008 no longer occurs.
- This release fixes an issue causing the Schema Compare grid to ignore the selection in the Include check box used to include or exclude an object from the synchronization.
- The schema comparison grid no longer displays an error message when the user selects or clears numerous stored procedures check boxes.
- This release fixes an issue with the column ordinal by ensuring that the actual column position is used to determine the ordinal. The ordinal is the column position in the table. Previously, the column ID was used to determine the ordinal. Unfortunately SQL Server does not maintain or guarantee sequential values in the column ID field and sometimes contains “gap” that could trigger unnecessary schema differences.
- An issue causing some comments to not parse properly in the definition of views, procedures, or functions no longer occurs.
- An issue affecting columns with the following criteria is fixed:
- the column does not accept a null value;
- the column contains a default constraint; and
- the column is synchronized via a table rebuild script.
The default constraint in some cases was ignored by the rebuild script.
- Users no longer experience an issue related to the synchronization of identity columns. The synchronization script generated in some cases explicit null or default values which are not accepted for identity columns.
- A small scripting error related to CLR DDL triggers created with “EXECUTE AS” clause no longer occurs.
- This release fixes a schema-read issue with the columns included in an index.
- A problem related to database names that contain Cyrillic letters no longer occurs.
- Users no longer experience a data conversion issue between varchar(max) and image data types.
- This release fixes a problem related to foreign keys with duplicate names. Some internal collection used by schema compare API didn’t handle the duplicates properly.
- Some minor conversion issues between the following data types no longer occur:
- from char/varchar to float/real
- from datetime to timestamp
- Users no longer experience an issue with full-text indexes. A missing dependency between the full-text index and the unique key/index associated with it, caused the full-text index synchronization script to fail.
- This release fixes an issue related to the serialization of bindings between the user-defined data types and rules/defaults.
- A SQL or CLR triggers issue that caused the user interface to not properly show schema differences between two triggers no longer occurs. This issue occurred in cases when the only different property was the trigger status, either enabled or disabled.
Data Compare
An issue with the data compare grid causing the View Row Details function to generate an error when no row was selected on the grid.
2.1.2 New features
SQL Server 2012 support
SQL Comparison Toolset 2.1.2 supports the use of SQL Server 2012.
2.1.2 Fixed issues
- Object comparisons of tables now complete without error when tables include either a check constraint or default constraint that depends on user-defined functions.
- The data compare command line now properly parses the ForeignKeyAction option.
- Data comparisons no longer incorrectly flag rows as different when the first column of the data candidate keys (primary key, unique constraint, or unique index) is created as a DESCENDING column.
- Data compare synchronization scripts now execute properly when:
- Unique keys defined on columns allow NULL values.
- Varbinary(max) columns were created with FILESTREAM attribute.
- Data compare now properly handles licensing on Windows configurations that enforce FIPS-compliant cryptography algorithms.
2.1.1 Fixed issues
This release includes fixes to object compare snapshots.
2.1 New features
SQL Server 2012 Testing Compatibility
SQL Comparison Toolset 2.1 is SQL Server 2012 RC0 compatible in non-production environments.
Updated License Key Activation Service
SQL Comparison Toolset 2.1 now includes an updated license key activation service.
2.0 New features
Completely Redesigned Console
New user interface design and navigation to maximize user productivity.
Expanded Comparison Options
Perform granular comparisons with new comparison options such as comparing and synchronizing views along with tables, comparing databases with different collation, variable transaction size, and many more.
New Comparison Sessions
Easily repeat frequent compare operations with one simple click using comparison sessions which contain all the data related to a comparison operation including databases, credentials, comparison options, mapping rules, and excluded objects.
Customizable Mapping Rules
Easily customize the way database objects are mapped together using new schema, name, and data mapping rules.
2.0 Fixed issues
- Enhanced support for comparing large databases. Enhanced memory utilization, custom algorithms, and a new user interface improve the performance when comparing large databases.
- Improved Error Handling. Improvements to the error handling allow for non-critical errors to be logged, but not stop the data operations. A full error log is created and saved for review and analysis.
- Enhanced data handling. Idera SQL Data Compare now uses SQL native types instead of .NET types to read the data from SQL Server databases which provides faster read time and mirror database types.
- Improved Scripting. Idera SQL Data Compare has improved scripting of binary fields and large text fields.
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