Entity Framework Migrations with a different Database - entity-framework

I am stuck trying to figure out how to set the database to run a migration on.
I have created a new empty project and set up Entity Framework using code first. I have all my classes built.
I want to add a new database and run the migrations on this. I have Migrations working but I can't figure out what database they are running on.
Is it possible to set the database you want to use for the migrations?

Multiple DBs for the same context gets a little tricky. But It is possible:
The essence of the problem is how EF decides which connection to use.
It will access instantiate the context without NO PARAMS during migration.
So depending on how that behaves influences you outcome and success.
Start here:
EntityFramework code-first custom connection string and migrations

Related

Can you manually add tables and references to SPs/Views/Functions in EF Core Code First to an existing DB?

In EF 6 my work flow was to make all DB changes directly in SQL Server and then manually update/add EF classes to match what's the in the database. What I want to avoid is driving the DB design from code or scaffolding from the DB into EF.
I just want to manually manage everything once the DBContext has been generated.
Is this still possible in EF Core?
I just want to manually manage everything once the DBContext has been generated. Is this still possible in EF Core?
Absolutely. Same as in EF 6 Code First, just create the classes and map them to your database objects.

DropCreateDatabaseIfModelChanges not dropping the database

The DropCreateDatabaseIfModelChanges initialisation strategy no longer works in MVC5 with ASP.NET identity.
I'm getting the following error:
The model backing the 'BaseModelContext' context has changed since the database was created. Consider using Code First Migrations to update the database.
What do I do if for now I don't want to use migrations? Shouldn't the fact that I've TOLD it to drop the database that it should then go and do it?

Update model snapshot of last migration in Entity Framework and reapplying it

I'm using EF6 code-first migrations for existing database but initial DbContext does not fully cover existing schema (since it's massive). So from time to time I have to make updates to the model in database-first style. For example when I need an entity mapping for a table or a column that is already in the database but not reflected in the code I do the following:
Make all change (add new entity, rename the column mapping or add new property)
Scaffold migration representing the latest model snapshot stub_migration
Copy-paste latest serialized model from stub_migration to the last_migration resource file
Delete stub_migration
Revert last_migration in database
Update-Database so that model snapshot in [__MigrationHistory] table would be also updated
I understand that this aproach is a bit hackish and the proper way would be to leave empty stub_migration but this would force lots of empty migrations which I would rather avoid.
Looking at a similar scenario from MSDN article (Option 2: Update the model snapshot in the last migration) I wouldn't imagine that there is an easier way rather than writing power shell script, managed code or both to make it work. But I would rather ask community first before diving deep into it.
So I wonder: is there a simple way to automate generation of new model snapshot in latest migration and reaplying it?
I'm doing something similar. I have a large database and I am using the EF Tools for VS 2013 to reverse engineer it in small parts into my DEV environment. The tool creates my POCOs and Context changes in a separate folder. I move them to my data project, create a fluent configuration and then apply a migration (or turn automigration on).
After a while I want a single migration for TEST or PROD so I roll them up into a single migration using the technique explained here: http://cpratt.co/migrating-production-database-with-entity-framework-code-first/#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=54ad5c7b61c48943&at_ab=per-12&at_pos=0&at_tot=1
You can simplify the steps for updating DbContext snapshot of the last migration applied to database by re-scaffolding it with Entity Framework:
Revert the last migration if it is applied to the database:
Update-Database -Target:Previous_Migraton
Re-scaffold the last migration Add-Migration The_name_of_the_last_migration which will recreate the last migrations *.resx and *.Designer.cs (not the migration code), which is quite handy.
Those 2 steps are covering 4 steps (2-5) from original question.
You can also get different bahavior depending on what you want by specifying the flags -IgnoreChanges and (or) -Force
And by the way, the major problem with the updating the DbContext snapshot is not how to automate those steps, but how to conditionally apply them to TEST/PROD environments depending on whether you actually want to suppress the warning because you've mapped existing DB-first entities in you DbContext or you want it it to fail the build in case you've created new entities and forgot to create a code-first migration for them.
So, try to avoid those steps altogether and maybe create empty migrations when you just want to map existing tables to your code.

EF codefirst migrations how it works in a production environment

I am a newbie in Codefirst and I do not understand how it works correctly.
I created 3 migrations, migration 1..3 via "Add-Migration" command and issued the relative update with "Update Database".
I have a Configuration.cs file in my Migration directory and custom database initializer (I am working on MySQL) I created in order to seed initial data.
I do not know what happens behind the scenes in the production environment where I do not have any database yet.
Who is responsible to create and update the database? Are the migrations executed one after the other?
Can you suggest me how this process works in production and share useful links?
Regards,
Roberto
Assuming you are using Automatic Migrations - All migrations are called one after another, in the sequence in which they were created. Their Up function is called. Afterwards the Seed function on your Configuration class should fire.
Each migration has a sort of a Time-Stamp inside its file name, like this:
if you are creating lots of databases out of a single context class like I do, and you are afraid of not having control over migrations, you can use manual migrations. It is called DbMigrator.
See my/others answer here how to use it.

EntityFramework 4.1 EdmMetadata ModelHash

I am trying to deploy an EF 4.1 Code-First application from Dev to Test without letting EF "blow-away" the entire database.
I copy the database over from Dev to Test, rebuilt the application and deploy the code. For EF still thinks it needs to rebuild the DB or that the data models are different. How can I predict which ModelHash the application will want to see when it is deployed to a different server?
As far as I can tell, the only difference between the two builds is the configuration I use to build them (one is Test, and the other Dev).
If you want someone else to use your DB and now have to Re Create it each time.
I set my DB Initializer = CreateDatabaseIfNotExists
Then delete the "EdmMetadata" table from the DB.
I am not sure if this is the "correct" way to do it. But it works for me.
System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure.EdmMetadata.TryGetModelHash(DbContext)
will return you hash string of the model.
That's what the EF want to see in ModelHash column at EdmMetadata table.