SQL Compare (Red-Gate Software)

When dealing with multiple databases (or DB environments such as Dev, Test, Prod), one of the biggest headaches a DBA can come across is keeping all of the DBs/Environments in sync. With SQL Server 2005 there is the new Database Trigger that you can use to track all DDL changes, but this can become a very manual process to compare the DDL changes across multiple environments and then sync those differences up.

However, a tool from Red-Gate Software called SQL Compare can help solve this issue.

From the Red-Gate website:
Compares and synchronizes SQL Server database schemas
Version 5 (out now) fully engineered for SQL Server 2005

• Automate database comparisons
• Synchronize your databases
• Save hours of tedious work and eliminate manual scripting errors
• All new database objects in SQL Server 2005 supported

Some of the procedures SQL Compare will automate for you:

• Comparing all or just selected database objects
• Generating synchronization scripts
• Taking database snapshots and comparing them, useful for audit trails
• Change histories, ideal for database versioning
• Executing “right-first-time” database synchronizations

With a free 14 day trial, it’s worth it just to take for a “test drive” to see if this is the right tool for your DB needs…