SQL Database DACPAC and BACPAC packages in SQL Edge

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Important

Azure SQL Edge will be retired on September 30, 2025. For more information and migration options, see the Retirement notice.

Note

Azure SQL Edge no longer supports the ARM64 platform.

Azure SQL Edge is an optimized relational database engine geared for IoT and edge deployments. It's built on the latest versions of the Azure SQL Database Engine, which provides industry-leading performance, security, and query processing capabilities. Along with the industry-leading relational database management capabilities of SQL Server, Azure SQL Edge provides in-built streaming capability for real-time analytics and complex event-processing.

Azure SQL Edge provides native mechanisms to deploy a SQL Database DACPAC and BACPAC package during, or after deploying, SQL Edge.

SQL Database DACPAC and BACPAC packages can be deployed to SQL Edge using the MSSQL_PACKAGE environment variable. The environment variable can be configured with any of the following.

  • A local folder location within the SQL container containing the DACPAC and BACPAC files. This folder can be mapped to a host volume using either mount points or data volume containers.
  • A local file path within the SQL container mapping to the DACPAC or the BACPAC file. This file path can be mapped to a host volume using either mount points or data volume containers.
  • A local file path within the SQL container mapping to a zip file containing the DACPAC or BACPAC files. This file path can be mapped to a host volume using either mount points or data volume containers.
  • An Azure Blob SAS URL to a zip file containing the DACPAC and BACPAC files.
  • An Azure Blob SAS URL to a DACPAC or a BACPAC file.

Use a SQL Database DAC package with SQL Edge

To deploy (or import) a SQL Database DAC package (*.dacpac) or a BACPAC file (*.bacpac) using Azure Blob storage and a zip file, follow these steps.

  1. Create/extract a DAC package or export a BACPAC file using one of the following mechanisms.

    If you're using external streaming jobs as part of the database, ensure that:

    • The generated DACPAC captures all the SQL Server objects corresponding to the inputs/output streams and the streaming jobs, but the jobs won't be automatically started. In order to have the external streaming job automatically started after deployment, add a post-deployment script that restarts the jobs as follows:

      EXEC `sys.sp_stop_streaming_job` @name = N'<JOB NAME>';
GO
EXEC `sys.sp_start_streaming_job` @name = N'<JOB NAME>';
GO

    • Any credentials required by the external streaming jobs to access input or output streams are provided as part of the DACPAC.

  2. Zip the *.dacpac or the *.bacpac file and upload it to an Azure Blob storage account. For more information on uploading files to Azure Blob storage, see Upload, download, and list blobs with the Azure portal.

  3. Generate a shared access signature for the zip file by using the Azure portal. For more information, see Delegate access with shared access signatures (SAS).

  4. Update the SQL Edge module configuration to include the shared access URI for the DAC package. To update the SQL Edge module, take these steps:

    1. In the Azure portal, go to your IoT Hub deployment.
    2. In the left pane, select IoT Edge.
    3. On the IoT Edge page, find and select the IoT Edge where the SQL Edge module is deployed.
    4. On the IoT Edge Device device page, select Set Module.
    5. On the Set modules page, and select the Azure SQL Edge module.
    6. On the Update IoT Edge Module pane, select Environment Variables. Add the MSSQL_PACKAGE environment variable and specify the SAS URL generated in Step 3 above as the value for the environment variable.
    7. Select Update.
    8. On the Set modules page, select Review + create.
    9. On the Set modules page, select Create.

  5. After the module update, the package files are downloaded, unzipped, and deployed against the SQL Edge instance.

On each restart of the Azure SQL Edge container, SQL Edge attempts to download the zipped file package and evaluate for changes. If a new version of the DACPAC file is encountered, the changes are deployed to the database in SQL Edge.

Known issue

During some DACPAC or BACPAC deployments users may encounter a command timeout, resulting in the failure of the DACPAC deployment operation. If you encounter this problem, use the SQLPackage.exe (or SQL Client Tools) to apply the DACPAC or BACPAC manually.

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