Connecting to SQL Server and SQL Server (SQL Client) in Data Sync

The Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft SQL Server (SQLClient) providers connect to a Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL Database instance.

The Microsoft SQL Server is based on the System.Data.OleDB client library whereas the Microsoft SQL Server (SQLClient) is based on the System.Data.SqlClient library. Other than the underlying libraries they are functionally equivalent.

SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE and DELETE SQL Statements are automatically calculated from the Data Schema. Only those columns in the Schema Map are affected the Key(s) columns define the WHERE condition for UPDATE and DELETE.

In Incremental Mode the IN clause is used to return matching records based on the Key selection in groups of 500 across multiple CPU threads. It is advised that the Key column is an Indexed SQL Column.

Server Name

The Network name of your SQL Server, can also be a SQL Instance i.e. SQL01\SQLEXPRESS

SqlClient supports names in the format tcp:SQL01\SQLEXPRESS, 1433 specifying the TCP protocol and port.

Network Library

Applies to OleDB only and specifies the Network Library to connect to your SQL Server typically TCP/IP or Named Pipes.

Authentication

Use either the current process credentials or specify a SQL Server Username and Password.

SQL Azure requires that the username includes the server name as a postfix i.e. username@servername

Data source

To complete the connection you must select a DATABASE on the Server and a SQL Object to connect to either a TABLE or VIEW Data Sync will provide a Tree View of your SQL Server Databases, Tables and Views.

You can optionally enter a SQL Query via the SQL tab to select the data you want to work with. Specifying a SQL Query will make the data source read-only since Data Sync cannot work out how to update the data source from a user defined query.

CommandTimeout

The SQL Command timeout in seconds.

ConnectionString

The SQL Connection String that connects to your database.

SourceTable

The TABLE or VIEW that the Data source is connected to.

Command

A user defined SQL Query to use instead of SourceTable setting this property overrides SourceTable and makes the Data source read-only.

Data Sync wraps your command text so it appears as an inner query SELECT * FROM (<SQL_QUERY>) T1 to support schema discovery and CommandOrderBy property.

Stored Procedures

To call a Stored Procedure use the EXEC keyword i.e. EXEC spGetAllUsers. The EXEC keyword tells Data Sync to treat this query as a Stored Procedure.

CommandOrderBy

Appends an ORDER BY clause to the Query.

CommandWhere

Appends an WHERE clause to the Query, only when using SourceTable if you have a user defined Query in Command this value is ignored.

CommandBatchSize

Specifies the number of commands to send to SQL Server in one SQL statement. SQL Server supports a maximum number of parameters of 2000 so this value must be less than COLUMNS*BATCH.

Transaction

Specifies the number of commands per SQL Transaction.

Transaction > 0 will create a new Transaction on the connection.

BlobColumn

Defines a column that is a Binary data column where Data Sync uses a separate channel to SELECT and UPDATE this value. This prevents loading these large blob values on the read operation.

This is used with providers that support File based synchronisation operations such as

• FileSystem
• SharePoint Document Library
• Azure Blob Storage
• Amazon S3 Storage
• SQL Server

BlobName

Defines a column that returns the name of the Blob i.e. FileName when used with SharePoint.

Project Automation

The SQL Server provider also exposes helper functions that can be called from Project Automation to update the Data source ExecuteScalar, ExecuteNonQuery and UpdateSourceRow.

Caution: Using these methods on the Target connection with a Transaction > 0 will cause a DeadLock since a SQL Transaction is in place.

ExecuteScalar

Method ExecuteScalar creates a SQL Command from the supplied SQL and Parameters values and calls ExecuteScalar against the database.

int ExecuteScalar(string sql, params object[] parameters)

ExecuteNonQuery

Method ExecuteNonQuery creates a SQL Command from the supplied SQL and Parameters values and calls ExecuteNonQuery against the database.

int ExecuteNonQuery(string sql, params object[] parameters)

UpdateSourceRow

Method UpdateSourceRow creates a SQL Command to update a single column in the Data source using the key from the DataCompareItem

bool UpdateSourceRow(string column, object value, DataCompareItemInvariant item)

Used to update the source row from project automation, for example setting a Sync flag once a record has been synchronised.

For example calling this method in the AfterUpdateItem item event to mark a record in the source as synchronised.

public override void AfterUpdateItem(object sender, DataCompareItemInvariant item, object identity)
{
    DataSourceA.UpdateSourceRow("Sync", true, item);
}

Troubleshooting

If you get the error The certificate chain was issued by an authority that is not trusted when you are trying to connect, then you need to ensure that you select the Trusted checkbox in the connection window.