[thelist] Database merging

[Ken Moore]

Hi, Evolt,

>Hello:
>
>I have a question about database development.
>
>How do I go about merging databases? The problem is that the databases on 
>the production and staging servers are different, and now I need to move 
>stage to production. Production has some tables that no longer exist in 
>stage, and vice versa. In addition, some columns have been removed and 
>others added.
>
>We're running PostgreSQL 7.3.
>

As a database programmer of 20+ years, this is what I would do.

1. Make a complete back up of the entire database and store it on one of the 
servers.
2. Make a complete back up of the entire database and store in another 
office.
3. Make a complete back up of the entire database and store it offsite.
4. Run a complete analysis of both databases and eliminate any unused 
tables.
5. Combine any tables with overlapping data (for examples: very similar 
tables with add/deleted info  or  tables with names of people in US  in 
North America)
	5.1 Create a new table with all of the names of all tables to be 
consolidated
	5.2 Combine them using SELECT statements
	5.3 Determine by visual examination which  columns to overwrite and which 
to  eliminate,  giving preference to in use production name.
6. Do another complete analysis to determine the integrity between code and 
column names.
7. Update code accordingly.

8. Create a duplicate development environment and NEVER change either 
without the other.

Ken

If you like, contact me off line at cor412 at hotmail.com

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