Can't create BACPAC from SSDT. What am I missing?

  • I have a database for ERP software I support.

    My client want to move the DB to Azure, so I have tried to generate a BACPAC file from SSMS which generated heaps of errors - various errors ranging from missing clustered indexes, fillfactor not supported, to windows authentication users issues and a few other errors.

    Googling various articles directed me to download SQL Server Data Tools which gave me a good interface to fix up the errors.

    So now I have a saved project in SSDT & I can run the 'build' without any errors, so it should be able to export schema & data to a BACPAC file successfully.

    However within SSDT when I right-click the database, Extract Data-Tier Application, although it gives me the option to export schema & data, it is only wanting to create a DACPAC file. How can I create a BACPAC file, using the build or DACPAC file the build has created?

    If I use Management Studio to generate the BACPAC file, I get all the errors again because it has no knowledge of the DACPAC file I've worked on in SSDT.

    If I use the command-line SQLpackage.exe to create the BACPAC, I get further errors, as if I was just using SSMS.

    Surely there must be a way to export schema & data from SSDT into a BACPAC file? I have spent quite literally days on this, googling & reading various articles but I just can't find the answer to this predicament.

    Cheers

    Danster

  • Clearly the absence of any reply indicates that it can't be done. Bizarre though - SSDT clearly is exporting the schema AND data (which is supposed to be the BACPAC) but it only provides the DACPAC file type. Odd.

    There has to be an answer.

    I have managed to get my on-premise database to Azure but not via SSDT (a tool which was supposed to be able to do it).

    In the end, I just downloaded Management Studio for 2016, connected to my SQL 2012 instance & chose the usual Export Data Tier Application to generate a BACPAC. It created the BACPAC without error! After a solid week struggling, I just needed the latest incarnation of Management Studio!

    Cheers

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