An introduction to 8 ApexSQL tools

30 SQL server tools. Verse 12 in the 12 Days of …

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The 12th verse of "The 12 Days of Projects" is about ApexSQL server tools.

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An introduction to 8 ApexSQL tools

Last April, Quest Software® welcomed ApexSQL into the Quest® family of Information Management and its database management tools portfolio. Our solutions help organizations securely manage, monitor and move data. ApexSQL tools are built for the Microsoft SQL Server environment. With its proven SQL expertise and solutions, ApexSQL provides competitive SQL solutions for database auditing, recovery, change management, development and documentation.

These last few months our teams have worked to fully integrate the ApexSQL portfolio and strengthen our existing database tools portfolio for SQL server environments.

As DBA and developer roles continue to expand, and database environments continue to evolve, we understand you need reliable tools. That’s why, for our 12^th day of projects, we wanted to introduce you to our newest Quest Software SQL server tools and highlight eight ApexSQL tools that we think might interest you.

  

• ApexSQL Diff: SQL compare. Compare SQL schemas from databases, backups, scripts and source control.
• ApexSQL Data Diff: SQL data compare. Compare SQL data from live databases, scripts, backups and source control.
• ApexSQL Analyze: SQL join analysis. Analyze database dependencies and create SQL join relationship visualizations.
• ApexSQL Build: SQL create database automation. Create a SQL database from any input; automate builds from source control.
• ApexSQL Enforce: SQL code smells. Improve SQL code smells with best coding practices reviews and enforcement.
• ApexSQL Mask: Data classification and masking. Automatically classify and mask sensitive SQL Server data.
• ApexSQL Trigger: Trigger based SQL auditing. Create self-auditing apps with triggers in SQL Server.
• ApexSQL Unit Test: SQL unit testing. Implement SQL unit testing directly from SSMS.

 

ApexSQL Diff 

Developers often need to compare database schemas, review and synchronize changes, and achieve that without issues and/or errors. ApexSQL Diff is a tool that can help in that process, as it can compare and synchronize SQL Server schemas between databases and database backups, but it can also compare schemas under script folders and source control projects, along with ApexSQL snapshots.

It also supports comparison and synchronization of SQL Azure Databases, Amazon RDS for SQL Server, CLI, creating automation scripts (batch and PowerShell scripts), and executable installation packages.

It can automate and schedule database migrations, propagate schema changes from one environment to another, identify and repair lost and/or damaged objects, perform object level recovery from SQL backups without restoring.

In case something goes wrong, ApexSQL Diff can reverse any changes made by automatically creating a backup prior to database synchronization, a rollback script, or an ApexSQL snapshot.

With this tool you'll be able to create sophisticated reports to document the differences between your data sources and schedule your migration unattended, using the Command Line Interface and automation scripts. 

Learn more about ApexSQL Diff.

 

ApexSQL Data Diff

Data comparison and synchronization between databases is often tasked these days and a proper tool is needed to handle that job without issues and/or errors. ApexSQL Data Diff is that kind of a tool. It can compare and synchronize SQL Server data between databases and database backups, and it can also compare data under script folders and source control projects.

So what's the main difference between Diff and Data Diff? The main difference between ApexSQL Diff and ApexSQL Data Diff is that ApexSQL Diff compares and synchronizes schemas (structure), while ApexSQL Data Diff compares and synchronizes data.  

It also supports comparison and synchronization of SQL Azure Databases, Amazon RDS for SQL Server, CLI, creating automation scripts (batch and PowerShell scripts), and executable installation packages. 

It can automate and schedule database data migrations, propagate data changes from one environment to another, identify and repair lost and/or damaged data, perform row level recovery from SQL backups without restoring.

In case something goes wrong, ApexSQL Data Diff can reverse any changes made by automatically creating a backup prior to database synchronization, or a rollback script.

With this tool you'll be able to create sophisticated reports to document the differences between your data sources and schedule your migration unattended, using the Command Line Interface and automation scripts. 

Learn more about ApexSQL Data Diff.

 

ApexSQL Analyze

As a database developer, if you ever come across a task to graphically represent dependencies between objects in your database, then ApexSQL Analyze is just the right tool for the job. 

ApexSQL Analyze allows customization and design of the database dependency diagram to improve the visual look and readability of the imported database. It's available to filter out the specific objects, hide unreferenced objects and even delete objects from the diagram.

It provides only a visual representation of the imported database and made changes will not be saved into the database. 

ApexSQL Analyze is ideal for developers who want to see graphical dependencies between objects or just visual representation of objects from one or more databases. It can also identify dependencies that exist in dynamic SQL objects like stored procedures and functions. Dependencies of all object types that are listed in Object Browser can be viewed in ApexSQL Analyze. 

Learn more about ApexSQL Analyze.

 

ApexSQL Build

ApexSQL Build is a time-saving tool used for building and deploying databases from several data source types in a single operation. It allows full automation and customization of this process through its wide CLI support.

The DBA community will especially appreciate an easy and intuitive wizard by which database structure can be obtained from source controls like Git, TFS or Mercurial, and deployed directly to SQL server just in a few clicks.

After selection of source type and deployment options, ApexSQL Build allows its user to build executable file and use it as a tool for remote and delayed database deployment.

Learn more about ApexSQL Build.

 

ApexSQL Enforce

 

How many times have you created a database object without the option to check if the SQL code satisfied the SQL writing standards? With ApexSQL Enforce that will never happen again. 

Every database or database object script, with ApexSQL Enforce, can be checked with 100+ writing rules and it will identify information to change in order to follow the writing standards. 

Besides editing the default rules, ApexSQL Enforce gives you the possibility to create your own rules, applicable to your environment. 

Additionally, you can use ApexSQL Enforce as a part of continuous integration and be sure that every SQL script in your database is following the writing standards. 

Learn more about ApexSQL Enforce.

 

ApexSQL Mask

When it comes to SQL database data sharing to third parties outside the safe environment, ApexSQL Mask is a tool that helps solve privacy issues with its data masking ability. This tool has the ability to automatically find sensitive data and create the most realistic masking rules as possible when the tool is connected to the SQL database. It has options to create and edit data masks as well it have 220+ pre-defined data masks already included into the tool.

Learn more about ApexSQL Mask.

 

ApexSQL Trigger

Tracking data / DML changes made against database tables has always been an imperative. With ApexSQL Trigger, you can create table (column) triggers for update (alter), insert and delete, which will track any change made against data in the specified tables, including who made the changes and when the changes were made. 

Learn more about ApexSQL Trigger. 

 

ApexSQL Unit Test

One of the most important steps in database development is checking created database objects. With ApexSQL Unit Test you can do this in a couple of mouse clicks directly from SQL Server Management Studio.

This SQL Server Management Studio add-in will help you, during the development of your database, in finding the issues related to database objects and resolving them quickly. This can be done through UI, directly in SQL Server Management Studio or through CLI or PowerShell.

As a part of ApexSQL Unit Test, you can install default test database with already created unit test, which will help you understand how this add-in works and how to set up your environment.

ApexSQL Unit Test is a part of ApexSQL DevOps toolkit, where you can automate the complete continuous database integration process.

Learn more about ApexSQL Unit Test.

 

This is the last blog in our 12 days of Projects. We hope you’ve found our blog collections valuable and helpful. 

Happy holidays!