Microsoft Delivers On Promise Of Better Database Development In VSTE
Third-party tools such as Embarcadero ER/Studio provide some relief for DBAs by abstracting database metadata. However, since most development projects do not follow highly structured data methodologies, developers mainly concentrate on various agile programming techniques. Ultimately, developers end up doing what they want under those conditions, and data design tools are often left behind.
Not to be confused with database life-cycle tools and methodologies, this release of VSTE will be concerned with database design during development, so developers will only have to focus on schema designs, database constraints and stored procedures. VSTE is interested only in maintaining data integrity while code bases are under development.
The biggest advantage of the VSTE for Database Professionals process is that it will provide immediate feedback whenever changes are made across a database or in code. VSTE can incorporate database design into iterative testing life cycles and any test-driven development methodologies.
With Microsoft's SourceSafe software version control tool, VSTE creates manageable folders not only for code but also for schema objects. VSTE also will be able to bring existing database objects under its new version control capabilities with an import database schema action. The import process is straightforward and simple. Imported objects are turned into SQL files and added into SourceSafe's project management features. This process allows developers to start adding code and tables within minutes of database importation.
Once SQL files are placed into VSTE, they are in an offline state, thereby allowing developers to work on production-level database schemas without disrupting live databases. Essentially, another copy of production database schemas are generated with the import tool and VSTE then uses SourceSafe to track any edit changes.
SourceSafe provides a huge advantage during development because developers can quickly detect broken code associated with schemas across a team. By changing schemas, developers also can detect potential problems with other team members' code base. VSTE alerts developers of any changes made to schemas.
Developers will be able to either build new databases or update existing databases by only populating changes. VSTE makes it seamless by automatically creating all scripts necessary to generate or update databases. During update builds, developers will be able to instruct VSTE to connect to test databases and have the freedom to push changes to any server.
To overcome many restrictions and regulations imposed on live data, VSTE provides a test data generation tool that is versatile and covers most of the data expressions developers typically create. During a data generation plan, the tool will look at schemas in VSTE and provide a flexible test plan for developers.
VSTE's data testing tool arrives with the most common heuristics tools to generate data. When generating data, VSTE can randomly create data. More importantly, the tool should be able to maintain the same seed type. Since constants are often used as part of keys or ID type fields, VSTE will be able to keep these fields fixed and in appropriate order.
Though not available yet, Microsoft is promising that developers will be able to create test data when extracting production schemas. And in addition to schemas, the test tool will be able to analyze data heuristics within fields and generate test data from them without compromising security. Because the testing tool is aware of data constraints, developers can create regular expressions as well. With expressions, data generation will only follow the patterns provided by the designs.
As part of the Team System suite, VSTE for Database Professionals will be compatible with Team Foundation, ClearCase and Telelogic. The product will be free with any purchase of Team Suite.
