ndb.exe is a migration tool for Sql Server. Well fit small development team. Integrated with Sql Server Management Studio and Source control. The XML output allows to integrate with Continues Integration tools such as Cruise Control.NET.

Why use ndb?

If your development process flaws in some of these categories.

• You have team member(s) who also keep change db schema same as you. (Agile)
• Your daily SQL Tool is SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
• You don't want to merge conflict in Source Control to check in *.mdf
• You have Unit Testing against database, and require to re-create in setup stage
• You use Continues Integration

How it work?

ndb.exe is a single command-line tool. It keeps version of the local database. Allows to migrate database of change in a migration scripts.
There are only two files and one folder.

• ndb.exe - executable file run with /help for more info
• ndb.exe.config - database connections file. Two environments; Development and Production
• \migrate\ - migration script's folder. versioning as three numeric prefix 001...999

Migration script

Unlike other migration tools that you have to learn a new language to make a migration script. ndb.exe use just SQL Script.
There are several ways you can generate a migration script

• Of course, Write Sql script in notepad :-)
• Generate script from SSMS
  
• Generate script and data form Visual Studio Database Provider Wizard
  

Getting Started

• Extract ndb.zip to the project folder say [my project]\database\
• Edit database connection in ndb.exe.config
• Edit script [my project]\database\migrate\001_Init_schema.sql
• run ndb.exe /create (from command-line)
• run ndb.exe /migrate
• add and commit [my project]\database\ to Source Control