There are times we find the need to generate the database schema. In
SQL Server, it can be easily done using the graphical wizards in the
Management Studio. I haven't found a way to script it to this day.
However,
one alternative solution to this is to combine .NET programmability
feature in powershell, and SMO. With this approach you can setup a
powershell script job to automate your team's database build process.
Here are some basic assumptions before reading this post:
1. SQL Server 2008 is installed
2. Powershell is installed
3. SMO is in the GAC (Global Assembly Cache) or you know how to register it there
4. AdventureWorks is loaded in the database
Here are the steps I took to generate script against AdventureWorks database:
First of all, I went to management studio and right clicked on the AdventureWorks database to "Start Powershell"
PS
SQLSERVER:\SQL\OVERLORD\SQL2K8\Databases\AdventureWorks>
[reflection.assembly]::LoadWithPartialName("Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo")
GAC Version Location
--- ------- --------
True v2.0.50727 C:\WINDOWS\assembly\GAC_MSIL\Microsoft.SqlServer.Smo\1...
At this point, the SMO object was loaded using .NET reflection technology. Next
we declare $srv variable and assign the local SQL Server 2008 instance
to it. Then we assign the AdventureWorks database to the $db variable.
The database object has an overloaded method namely Script(). We need
to invoke that method to generate the database script. See the output
below as the script is run.
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\OVERLORD\SQL2K8\Databases\AdventureWorks>
$srv = new-object("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Server")
"(local)\sql2k8"
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\OVERLORD\SQL2K8\Databases\AdventureWorks> $db = $srv.Databases["AdventureWorks"]
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\OVERLORD\SQL2K8\Databases\AdventureWorks> $db
WARNING: column "Owner" does not fit into the display and was removed.
Name Status Recovery Model CompatLvl Collation
---- ------ -------------- --------- ---------
AdventureWorks Normal Simple 100 SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\OVERLORD\SQL2K8\Databases\AdventureWorks> $db.Script()
CREATE DATABASE [AdventureWorks] ON PRIMARY
(
NAME = N'AdventureWorks_Data', FILENAME =
N'C:\data\MSSQL10.SQL2K8\MSSQL\DATA\AdventureWorks_Data.mdf' , SIZE =
174080KB , MAXSIZE = UNLIMITED, FILEGROWTH =16384KB )
LOG ON
(
NAME = N'AdventureWorks_Log', FILENAME =
N'C:\data\MSSQL10.SQL2K8\MSSQL\DATA\AdventureWorks_Log.ldf' , SIZE =
18432KB , MAXSIZE = 2048GB , FILEGROWTH = 1638
4KB ) COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS
ALTER DATABASE [AdventureWorks] SET COMPATIBILITY_LEVEL = 100
IF (1 = FULLTEXTSERVICEPROPERTY('IsFullTextInstalled'))
begin
EXEC [AdventureWorks].[dbo].[sp_fulltext_database] @action = 'enable'
end
ALTER DATABASE [AdventureWorks] SET ANSI_NULL_DEFAULT OFF
ALTER DATABASE [AdventureWorks] SET ANSI_NULLS ON
ALTER DATABASE [AdventureWorks] SET ANSI_PADDING ON
.
.
.
The
limitation we run with the above approach is that it doesn't include
the objects such as tables, stored procedures, and functions in the
script. That's why we have to write a loop to iterate all the tables,
procedures, checks, primary, functions, etc. Each of those classes have
the Script() method and we can invoke them as we need it.
PS
SQLSERVER:\SQL\OVERLORD\SQL2K8\Databases\AdventureWorks> for ($i=0;
$i -lt $db.Tables.Count; $i++) {$db.Tables[$i].Script()}
.
.
.
Yes, there are more gotchas. :(
So far, we have looked into resolving this issue using 1
of the overloaded Script() method. The 2nd version of the overloaded
method expects ScriptingOptions as one of the parameter. Here is how we
would declare them and the options they give us.
PS SQLSERVER:\SQL\OVERLORD\SQL2K8\Databases\AdventureWorks>
$sc = new-object("Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.ScriptingOptions")
Here is a quick list of properties we can set on the $sc (ScriptingOptions) object.
$sc.AppendToFile = 0;
$sc.Bindings = 1;
$sc.Default = 1;
$sc.DdlBodyOnly = 1;
$sc.DriAll = 1;
$sc.DriAllConstraints = 1;
$sc.DriAllKeys = 1;
$sc.DriPrimaryKey = 1;
$sc.IncludeDatabaseContext = 1;
$sc.IncludeDatabaseRoleMemberships = 1;
$sc.IncludeHeaders = 1;
$sc.IncludeIfNotExists = 1;
$sc.Indexes = 1;
$sc.LoginSid = 1;
$sc.PrimaryObject = 1;
$sc.Permissions = 1;
Depending upon your need, you can set the target server version, and the output file properties as well.