Voice of the DBA

Tag: DLM

  • What is the DLM Maturity Model?

    I’ve written a few posts on the Redgate Software blog to try and show how I see the DLM model, and how we see things at Redgate. We have a lot of developers that work in a similar way when building application software in C#, Java, Python, or other languages, and much of the company is trying to bring more engineering to database development.

    Part of what the DLM maturity model aims to do is help us classify how we progress to a more engineered, repeatable, and reliable way of managing database development. You can read my overview, and then dive into each of the various levels we’ve built. The levels are:

    Some of this is based on the CMMI model from the SEI, and some is based on what application developers are doing with their own continuous delivery mode. Simple Talk has written a What is DLM? article as well, and includes a different view of a maturity mode.

    I think this process becomes more important over time as we depend more on software and the databases behind them, with fewer and fewer tolerances for downtime or human mistakes in the deployment process.

    I’d like to get feedback from people on what they think of this model, and of the idea of engineering better database development. I know many people have built their own process, but far too many of the processes rely on custom scripts that are built and edited for each deployment, sometimes in the middle of the deployment. I think we could actually make database development better if we applied some better structure to our deployment.

    Redgate is working on tools to support this, in a few ways, but this isn’t about Redgate. Rather, it’s about building better software for everyone, whether you use Redgate tools, another vendor’s tools, or build your own. Follow a better engineering process.

    If you’d like to know more about the CMMI model, Alex Nordeen built a fools guide to the framework. It’s easier to read and understand than the CMMI site.

  • Why Use Version Control?

    I’ve spoken with quite a few people in the last few years that don’t see enough value in version control to actually implement it. Most of them agree using a VCS is a good idea, but they aren’t doing it. Maybe this analogy will help.

    I was listening to Ike Ellis talk about VCS and he said something like this. Imagine you had a ten foot board to walk across and it was laying on the ground. You’d be willing to walk, skip, dance, maybe cartwheel across it. After all, what are the consequences?

    Now imagine this board is 50 feet off the ground. How do you cross it now? Many of us would be more cautious. In fact, if you’re like me, you’re likely laying down on the board, gripping tightly as you move inch by inch.

    However, what if there were a net below you? And if you fell, this net would toss you right back onto the board where you’d fallen so you could continue on from the last place you’d had success.

    That safety net is your VCS, and when you’re working along coding, you’re crossing a board that’s quite a distance from the ground.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.

  • Maturing Your Database Development Process–Version Control

    At Redgate Software, we have a progression of the stages of a database development pipeline. These are the various ways in which you can better engineer your database development to ensure smoother releases to production, with less issues. There are five stages:

    • Manual (S0)
    • Source Control (S1)
    • Continuous Integration (S2)
    • Release Management (S3)
    • Monitoring (S4)

    As I travel around, speaking on these topics, I find many people working in development stops that are really at the S0 level.

    For databases, that is. For their .NET or Java or PHP software, quite a few are at S2, and maybe working towards S3 in many projects.

    That’s a disconnect, and it’s one that we’d like to see changed at Redgate. Certainly we can help and we’d like you to use our products, but more, we want to see better development all around.

    We’re Trying to Help New York City

    In a few weeks, on August 27, 2015, I’ll be in New York to help teach our Database Source Control workshop. Ike Ellis (Crafting Bytes) is teaching the class, and I’ll be there to support him and run the labs. This is a course that Grant Fritchey, myself, and a few others at Redgate Software have built.

    This is the chance to learn how your organization can implement version control for your database, just as most of your developers probably already have for the other software you write.

    We’ll cover setting up Source Control, deploying changes from versions, branching, merging, and more. This is a great hands-on introduction to stabilizing your database development. We’ll provide a VM with labs that you will actually complete.

    We’ve put this first step to building a DLM pipeline on sale for $100. If you’re close to NYC, consider taking a day off and joining us at the Microsoft office in Manhattan for a little database education.

    If you can’t make this workshop, look through our schedule and join us somewhere at a future time.

  • Connecting, Saving, Discarding, Branching, and Merging in the Big Apple

    We’ve got another DLM workshop on Database Source Control taking place in New York City on August 27. It’s in Manhattan, at the Microsoft office all day, with lots of hands on labs to help you learn a number of skills:

    • connecting your database to a VCS with SQL Source Control.
    • discarding changes and recovering an older version of your code from a VCS.
    • branching your database code
    • merging changes from branches together.
    • using migration scripts for custom code changes and preserving these in your VCS.
    • and more

    Register today, and spend a day with Ike Ellis and myself  learning about database version control. The class is only $100 for a limited time, so make plans to join us.

    You’ll need to bring a laptop, but we’ll provide a VM ready for you to practice the skills on, and we’ll provide the food and refreshments for the day.

    Using a Version Control System is essential for application developers, and it should be for database developers as well. Learn how you can start to ensure your database code is protected and versioned, just like all your other code.