How to attach/restore sql database file automatically while running setup of a project made in Visual Studio 2010

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In my network I have a SERVER with 5 clients. In one of my client, I have Visual Studio 2010 and in my SERVER I have OS 2003 and SQL SERVER 2005. I have created a database in my SERVER . In the particular client where my VB 2010 is installed I have made a project by adding datasource from the database created in the SERVER. Now I have build my project with setup and deployment wizard. My simple application runs fine from any of my client machine in my network. It saves data perfectly in my database created in the SERVER. BUT when I tried to run my application in a different network in another SERVER, I cant. It runs in different SERVER only if I restore my database from my own SERVER to that SERVER manualy in Enterprise manager.

Now how can I create/attach/restore my database in a different SERVER while installing my application in that SERVER. What I have to do in VB and SQL.Kindly use VB code. Kindly also tell me how the setup.exe while installing in a different SERVER promt for the SERVER name, USER, Password at the begining of execution of my application so that the database may be attached to the SQL SERVER automatically.

Posted 23-Jun-12 7:38am

dibyendudhar

Updated 23-Jun-12 10:54am

Sandeep Mewara

v2

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barneyman · Answer 1 · 2012-06-25T16:07:00

Ok - let's break this down ...

1. You need the SQL 'definition' of your DB, logins, indices et al

This one is easy :) In SQL Management Studio, right click your DB, choose Generate Scripts, follow the wizard, and you should have the script required to create your DB from scratch

2. You need to ask the customer for
- SQL server details
- SQL admin login credentials, or integrated login
- name of the db to drop/create (don't ever assume the customer is happy with your choice of DB name)
- path to create it to, or use the SQL default

3. You need to execute the scripts generated in #1 on the server in #2

4. Your application needs to understand some items from #2
- server
- dbname

Items 2 & 3 can be done in a number of ways, here, we use Custom Scripts, Custom Tables and Custom UIs inside the MSI/setup.exe file, this may be beyond the scope you wish to take on, but there's an example A Setup and Deployment project that passes parameters to the configuration file[^] that talks about doing bits of that

You could install the sql scripts generated from #1 into a directory, then have a VBscript custom action run them, using information from the UI

Or alternatively, you could have a VB exe run the first time your app is run - and that should be easy to identify, because your app won't have any information it needs from #4

That should get you going ;)

Another thing to consider is having a schemaNumber table in your DB, then you can create update scripts by simply running a windiff over v1 #1 script and v2 #1 scripts