SQL Azure Data Sync Update

It’s been a while since we announced SQL Azure Data Sync CTP2 and I wanted to provide an update on how CTP2 is progressing as well as an update on the service in general.

Late last year at PDC we announced CTP2 and started accepting registrations for access to the preview release. In mid-December we started providing access to the service and have continued to work our way through the registrations, adding more users. We recently made a few updates to the service as a direct result of feedback we’ve received; bug fixes and a number of usability enhancements.

We’ve seen huge interest in CTP2, so much so that we may not be able to give everyone who registered access to the preview. We are going to continue to process registrations throughout March, but for those of you that do not get access we will be releasing CTP3 this summer and will make that preview release open to everyone. Feel free to continue to register for CTP2 as that will allow us to email you as soon as CTP3 becomes available.

While on the subject of CTP3, here are some of the new features planned:

• A new user interface integrated with the Windows Azure portal.
• The ability to select a subset of columns to sync as well as to specify a filter so that only a subset of rows are synced.
• The ability to make certain schema changes to the database being synced without having to re-initialize the sync group and re-sync the data.
• Conflict resolution policy can be specified.
• General usability enhancements.

CTP3 will be the last preview, before the final release later this year. We’ll announce the release dates on this blog when available.

Finally, here are some links that may be helpful:

• To ask questions, report problems and provide feedback on SQL Azure Data Sync CTP2, use the SQL Azure forum: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/forums/en-US/ssdsgetstarted/threads/
• To submit new feature requests or vote on existing feature requests: https://www.mygreatwindowsazureidea.com/forums/44459-sql-azure-data-sync-feature-voting
• To register for access to CTP2 and be notified about CTP3: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=204776&clcid=0x409

Best wishes, Mark

Comments

• Anonymous
  April 26, 2011
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  April 27, 2011
  Can Data Sync be used to synchronise SQL Server databases? So Azure is not in the picture at all? So for example use this technology to synchronise SQL Server Enterprise Edition with 10 SQL Server Express Edition databases?

• Anonymous
  May 02, 2011
  There is an option available in Sync Framework 2.1 to sync between on-premise and SQL Azure databases. How this will be different from the Data Sync tool and when to prefer which?

• Anonymous
  May 05, 2011
  My question is similar to the previous two.  Is it possible to sync an on premise SQL Server 2008 R2 express database with SQL Azure using CTP2/3?  Thank you.

• Anonymous
  June 27, 2011
  Any news on CTP3? What about a final release? It seems like very long release schedule, a year between CTP2 & 3.

• Anonymous
  June 28, 2011
  Same question as Dan above: Is it possible to sync an on premise SQL Server 2008 R2 express database with SQL Azure using CTP2/3? Any help on this topic would be great!

• Anonymous
  July 05, 2011
  Is it possible to sync SQL Azure with a local SQL Server CE with either CTP2 or CTP3?

• Anonymous
  July 23, 2011
  Hi When the serive will be available agein?

• Anonymous
  August 10, 2011
  Any new?  It's been a long time since we have had a status update.  Getting nervous that this is being cancelled after we have so much invested.

• Anonymous
  August 10, 2011
  Vincent - afaik, the team is still busy working on CTP3.

• Anonymous
  August 10, 2011
  Dan/Eric - internally, Data Sync uses Sync Framework's SqlSyncProvider, so it should work i think it should work with SqlExpress.

• Anonymous
  August 10, 2011
  Mike - CTP2 doesnt work with Sql CE. I dont think it's going to be in CTP3 either. The product being in CTP, things may change though. you might want to suggest that feature at : www.mygreatwindowsazureidea.com/.../44459-sql-azure-data-sync-feature-voting

• Anonymous
  August 10, 2011
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  August 18, 2011
  Apologies for the long delay between updates.  Rest assured we are still working on CTP3 and will have it available soon! For sync of on-premises databases we do support SQL Server Express, but will not support SQL Server Compact for V1.

• Anonymous
  September 05, 2011
  Is it possible to use Sync Framework to sync a SQL Server 2008 warehouse db with different customer databases in other companies which use SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server 2008? This has to go via a firewall. Or is it better to use SQL Server Web Replication to achieve this? Or is there even another option? Thanks

• Anonymous
  September 20, 2011
  @DanielS - Yes, you should be able to use Sync Framework to sync with Sql Server 2005 sp2 and Sql Server 2008. You can write code for Sync Framework to use WCF if firewalls are an issue. Sync Framework is an SDK so you have to write code for it. I understand Sql Server Web Replication is more a configuration approach. Sql Azure Data Sync on the other hand is a configurable sync service in the cloud. If you can't write code and just want an OOTB configurable option, the SQL Web Replication or Data Sync is probably the best option for you, otherwise, you can write the sync code using Sync Framework.

• Anonymous
  October 10, 2011
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  October 11, 2011
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  October 13, 2011
  Hi We just announced the final preview release of Data Sync today; check it out in the Windows Azure Portal. As JuneT states, no schema sync in the release. To vote for schema sync or request any other features, please visit the feature voting forum - www.mygreatwindowsazureidea.com/.../44459-sql-azure-data-sync-feature-voting Regards, Mark