Deploy SQL Server DACPAC with Octopus Deploy

Shawn Sesna outlines the process of automating database deployments to Microsoft SQL Server using DACPAC and Octopus Deploy, a task that traditionally makes Database Administrators (DBAs) uneasy due to its automatic nature. The article provides a detailed guide on deploying the Sakila database to a SQL Server, highlighting the necessary steps from creating a database project in Visual Studio with SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) to configuring a build process using Microsoft Azure DevOps. It emphasizes the importance of properly setting up build agents with Visual Studio Build Tools and packaging the DACPAC files for deployment via Octopus Deploy. The deployment process includes optional steps such as creating a database if it doesn't exist and using various DACPAC community step templates to ensure compatibility with different deployment scenarios, including support for Azure Active Directory authentication. Through this comprehensive approach, the guide aims to integrate database deployment into the DevOps workflow efficiently, offering a practical example of deploying to an Azure SQL Database server.