Opinions on Red-Gate SQL Data Compare Tool
We are considering using a tool from Red Gate called SQL Data Compare for keeping four databases in sync.
I was at a Microsoft seminar last night which was being sponsored by Red Gate, so I asked them about the performance of SQL Data Compare, I said something like "do you have any figures for what volume of data it can support?" - first reaction:
"volume isn't one of its strong points"
I tried to press them that I wasn't looking to sync millions of transactions, I just wanted some idea of what it would be reasonable to expect from the tool, but the two people I was speaking to were both very cautious about it - "use where clauses to limit the data being loaded", "there is a lot of discussion about this on the newgroups, take a look at them", "there are really too many variables to give any figures".
I don't understand why they are so cautious. I had a look at product reviews for the tool - using Google - and they all appear very positive. Can anyone who uses the tool regularly give any rough figures for the amount of data it will process in a given period?
I was at a Microsoft seminar last night which was being sponsored by Red Gate, so I asked them about the performance of SQL Data Compare, I said something like "do you have any figures for what volume of data it can support?" - first reaction:
"volume isn't one of its strong points"
I tried to press them that I wasn't looking to sync millions of transactions, I just wanted some idea of what it would be reasonable to expect from the tool, but the two people I was speaking to were both very cautious about it - "use where clauses to limit the data being loaded", "there is a lot of discussion about this on the newgroups, take a look at them", "there are really too many variables to give any figures".
I don't understand why they are so cautious. I had a look at product reviews for the tool - using Google - and they all appear very positive. Can anyone who uses the tool regularly give any rough figures for the amount of data it will process in a given period?
ASKER
We can't mirror the whole database, some of the data will need to be different, only selected tables will be affected, but this will include some transactional data as well as lookup and configuration data.
>>only selected tables will be affected, but this will include some transactional data as well as lookup and configuration data.
Then use replication for selected tables only.
Then use replication for selected tables only.
ASKER
It seems it is going to be awkward having two replication mechanisms running for different parts of the data against multiple databases. You say you haven't tried using Red Gate for transaction data yet you seem to rule out using it - is this because you initially tested it for transactional data and found it wasn't suitable? I find the Red Gate UI very simple to use and if the tool can do it I would prefer to do all replication through it.
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ASKER
OK - that makes sense - getting SQL Data Compare to continually compare all the data in very large tables is where the bottleneck is. I was thinking it would just remember changes made since the last update, not do a full compare - this all makes sense now - "volume isn't one of its strong points" etc.
So if I had four databases I wanted to keep in sync this would actually be quite difficult because it would need to have some schedule to keep comparing different databases in order to identify the changes.
So if I had four databases I wanted to keep in sync this would actually be quite difficult because it would need to have some schedule to keep comparing different databases in order to identify the changes.
Hi,
I nerver used regdate to compare transaction data only the lookup tables and few of configuration tables the data in those tables are limited may be in thousand and performance was good so the point is
if you are trying to synch two servers transactional data (huge as compared to lookup and configuration data) you should use one of sql functionality like Replication, Mirroring or LogShipping.
Regards
Imran