Updates

1) I have discovered that there was already a tool called SQL Deploy, so I have renamed my addin to SSMSDeploy, and am in the process of updating any existing references and making a new demo video. Apologies to the author(s) of the original SQL Deploy.

2) New video has been posted here

End of Updates

I have finally finished my addin for SSMS 2008.

Hooray!

As a quick summary, SSMS Deploy makes sure your deployments are done correctly. A developer creates a request for deployment, attaches a script and sets the list of servers to deploy to (for example, test, then UAT, then production). This request is added to a list, viewable by everyone with the SSMS Deploy addin. The DBA (or whoever) sees it appear in their list, and deploys it through the addin, moving it into a "signoff required" status. After some testing the dev can come back and signoff the deployment, making the next stage of deployment available.

The addin keeps track of who is doing what at each stage, and when. It also stores the results and errors of the execution for later viewing, but it only keeps the first 8000 characters of each.

If an error occurs at any point in the script, the error output is saved and the entire operation is rolled back, and the request is marked as failed (which means no further deployments can occur). This is made possible by the fact that SSMSDeploy uses SQLCMD for deployment, getting around the problem of not being able to try/catch around multiple batches, etc.

The addin is built on top of a wrapper I wrote to make addin creation easier, and I will shortly make the source code for the wrapper available.

But first I have a question for you out there: what should I do with this? Release it all, with source, for free? Sell the addin? Sell the source? Ask for donations?

I always intended to release the wrapper code, but I think the actual addin is pretty darn nifty, and might be commercially viable. As a developer struggling for funds, the idea of getting some cash is appealing. At the same time I also feel compelled to share with the community (I could never have written the wrapper without a lot of help put out on the internet by fellow developers, so that code is definitely going up).

How about releasing the full source and asking for donations? I don't know if anyone ever makes any money asking for donations. But I know nothing about writing and selling commercial software, I've always been paid by some business for which I worked.

Feedback on this one would be greatly appreciated.