Problem
Predictable database deployments are a myth. It feels like each deployment is impacted by a variety of challenges, from database drift to manual intervention to correct out-of-sync database code, tables, stored procedures, and indexes. Some of these challenges are application-specific, while others are related to code mismanagement from Development to Test and Production. With so many code dependencies across numerous teams, oftentimes deployments unexpectedly take hours when riddled with errors. This is stressful for the entire IT Team, costly for the business when users experience unexpected downtime, and is not the level of service the IT Team strives for. Does this sound familiar to you? How can DBAs confidently manage code deployments and rebuild trust with the business?
Solution
DBAs should take charge of business-critical code deployments by properly managing security and all code promotion between environments, and using an intelligent scripting tool to deploy database code changes with a predictable and stress-free process.
For consistent deployments and schema synchronization, I’d like to introduce SchemaSmith. With this simple-to-install command line toolset, you can begin taking control of your database schema and deployments within minutes.
What is SchemaSmith
SchemaSmith is a group of metadata-driven tools that treat SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and MySQL schemas like source code—so your database can be versioned, automated, and deployed. Point SchemaSmith at a database and it will generate all the necessary scripts to deploy the same exact schema on another database. No guesswork, no tinkering with scripts, just run the tool and the scripts are ready.
These are the components of the SchemaSmith toolset:
- SchemaTongs – Allows you to script out database schema and objects.
- SchemaQuench – Allows you to deploy database schema and objects.
- DataTongs – Allows you to export table data that can be easily inserted into a destination database.
SchemaSmith tools are geared towards DBAs and Developers who are familiar with SQL code and scripts. The tool uses JSON files for control settings and a simple command line executable for both extracting and deploying changes.
SchemaSmith is the toolset for DBAs to confidently deploy code across their lower life cycle and production environments when paired with proper security and operational processes.
Why SchemaSmith
Change is constant, but you can control the chaos. Databases and applications are constantly being modified to fix bugs, add features, or improve the overall experience. With application code releases, we typically replace the entire application or individual components with a complete code replacement. For databases, this is not typically the case. We use ALTER statements to modify stored procedures, functions, tables, indexes, etc. For some objects we replace the old with new, but with table changes we usually add, drop, or modify columns. This is harder to track when the change was made and what change was made.
Whether you currently using SQL scripts, PowerShell, SQLCMD, or some other approach, these all have issues where the process might work fine in one environment and then fail in another for some unknown reason. Troubleshooting code deployment during the actual deployment is not something you want to do.
SchemaSmith takes a different approach. Instead of maintaining a chain of migration scripts, you declare the schema you want, and the tool compares that declaration to the live database and applies only the differences. Because the comparison runs against the actual state of each target, one code set updates any environment — no matter what state it is in — and produces the same outcome.
SchemaSmith is Free
SchemaSmith is free for any purpose — personal, commercial, internal, educational — under the SchemaSmith Community License (SSCL v2.0). Unlimited seats, unlimited schemas, unlimited servers, no per-user charges. The same free CLI deploys to dev, staging, and production at any team size, on any number of databases, forever. This covers SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and MySQL.
Yes, you read that right. SchemaSmith is totally free. You can download today and begin using it to script, version, and deploy your database code to any environment. Whether you are using SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or MySQL you can get started now.
Summary
We only touched the surface of what the SchemaSmith toolset can do. Many other options to use these tools exist. In addition, once you have scripted your environment, it is a recommended best practice to upload these scripts into your source control system. This enables centralized management all of your database code for deployments.
SchemaSmith treats database changes like code deployments. This is where the entire database code set is scripted from the source. Then it is compared and deployed at the destination. If you have databases in different states, SchemaSmith allows you to use one code set to update any environment and get the same outcome. SchemaSmith is an intelligent approach to database code deployment. It takes the guesswork out of what might or might not work allowing for hassle free database code deployment.
SchemaSmith tools work with SQL Server 2017 and later, PostgreSQL 15 and later, and MySQL 8.0 and later.
Take some time to check out and test SchemaSmith. It’s very simple to set up and use, and you can see the benefits in less than an hour.
Next Steps
If you are a DBA or Developer needing to deploy database changes and keep your database schemas in sync between multiple environments, then SchemaSmith is designed for you. Sure, you can script out objects using some of the GUI tools. However, keeping table changes intact is not that easy. Additionally, with SchemaSmith, each extract includes all database objects for easy management instead of taking a piecemeal approach.
SchemaSmith allows you to quickly export your database schema, put the code in version control, and deploy it over and over again. Same process every time yields the same result every time.
Learn more about SchemaSmith:
- Download SchemaSmith now and start using today
- Check out the YouTube Channel
- View the SchemaSmith documentation
- Get the SchemaSmith source code
Greg Robidoux has been working with databases for 35+ years with extensive hands on SQL Server experience from version 6.5 to 2025. He has authored over 250 technical articles and delivered several presentations online and at various conventions. Greg is also the President and founder of Edgewood Solutions, a technology services company delivering services and solutions for Microsoft SQL Server.
