I'm trying to build a CI/CD for my Microsoft SQL Server database projects. It will work with Microsoft DevOps pipelines.

I have all databases in Visual Studio databases projects with the GIT as source control. My objective is to have something that I can release databases with the use of DevOps pipelines to the diferents enviroments:

  • DEV
  • UAT
  • PROD

I was thinking of using DBGhost: http://www.innovartis.co.uk/ but I can't find updated information about this tool (only very old info) and there is very little information about it on the internet and how to use it (is it still in use?).

I would like to use a mix of DBGhost and DevOps. DBGhost to Source Scripting, Building, Comparing, Synchronizing, Creating Delta Scripts, Upgrading and DevOps to make releases (that would call the builds created by DBGhost)

If you have any ideas using this or other methods I am grateful because currently all releases are manual and it is not very advisable to do.


We have this configured in our environment using just DevOps. Our database is in a Visual Studio database project. The MSBuild task builds the project and generates a DACPAC file as an artifact, and the Release uses the "SQL Server Database Deploy" task to deploy this to the database. The deploy task needs to use an account with enough privileges to create the database, logins, etc., but takes care of performing the schema compare, generating the delta scripts, and executing them. If your deploy is going to make changes that could result in data loss such as removing columns, you will need to include the additional argument /p:BlockOnPossibleDataLoss=false in the deploy task. This flag is not recommended unless you know there will be changes that will cause data loss; without the flag any deploy which would result in data lost will fail.