DAC Support For SQL Server Objects and Versions

A data-tier application (DAC) supports the most commonly used Database Engine objects.

Supported SQL Server Objects

Only supported objects can be specified in a data-tier application as it is being authored or edited. The Extract Data-tier Application Wizard will not extract a DAC from an existing database that contains objects that are not supported in a DAC. The wizard will report the objects it found that are not supported in a DAC.

DATABASE ROLE

FUNCTION: Inline Table-valued

FUNCTION: Multistatement Table-valued

FUNCTION: Scalar

INDEX: Clustered

INDEX: Non-clustered

INDEX: Unique

LOGIN

SCHEMA

STORED PROCEDURE: Transact-SQL

TABLE: Check Constraint

TABLE: Collation

TABLE: Column, including computed columns

TABLE: Constraint, Default

TABLE: Constraint, Foreign Key

TABLE: Constraint, Index

TABLE: Constraint, Primary Key

TABLE: Constraint, Unique

TRIGGER: DML

TYPE: User-defined Data Type

TYPE: User-defined Table Type

USER

VIEW

Data-tier Application Support by the Versions of SQL Server

The versions of SQL Server have different levels of support for DAC operations.

DAC Operation

SQL Server 2008 R2

SQL Azure

SQL Server 2008

SQL Server 2005

SQL Server 2000

Delete DAC

Yes

Yes

Service Pack 2 (SP2) or later

Service Pack 4 (SP4) or later

No

Deploy DAC

Yes

Yes

SP2 or later

SP4 or later

No

Extract DAC

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Register DAC

Yes

Yes

SP2 or later

SP4 or later

No

Upgrade DAC

Yes

Yes

SP2 or later

SP4 or later

No

Client Tools Support DAC Operations

Yes

No

No

No

No

All of the DAC operations supported by a version of SQL Server are supported by all editions of that version.

Note

SQL Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Visual Studio 2010 SP1 includes a new DAC Framework 1.1 that changes the DAC upgrade from a side-by-side upgrade to an in-place upgrade. In-place upgrades are also supported on SQL Azure, while side-by-side upgrades are not. DAC Framework 1.1 also changes the format of the DAC package (.dacpac) files. While DAC Framework 1.1 supports DAC packages created using the earlier DAC Framework 1.0, clients still running DAC Framework 1.0 cannot process DAC packages created by using DAC Framework 1.1. SQL Server 2008 R2 also introduces a new DAC upgrade wizard that performs in-place upgrades. SQL Server 2008 R2 customers can upgrade to DAC Framework 1.1 and the new wizard by downloading and installing SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1.

Note

SQL Server 2008 SP2 and SQL Server 2005 SP4 introduced support for DAC operations only in the Database Engine. You must use the SQL Server 2008 R2 client tools and wizards, such as SQL Server Management Studio, to perform DAC operations on SQL Server 2008 SP2 or SQL Server 2005 SP4. The SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2005 tools do not perform DAC operations, even after service packs have been applied.

Change History

Updated content

Moved in the section on support for DAC operations by the versions of SQL Server. Added note for DAC Framework 1.1, indicated in-place upgrades using 1.1 now support SQL Azure.

Changed to reflect that SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 includes both DAC Framework 1.1 and a new DAC upgrade wizard.