[This article was contributed by the SQL Azure team.]

At PDC ‘09, I showed a glimpse of a new Silverlight tool we were working on to allow you to develop and manage your SQL Azure databases. We showed updated versions of this at MIX’10 and TechEd North America 2010 and promised for a CTP this summer. Looking out the window, the sun is shining in Redmond, summer is here and so is the first CTP of Microsoft® Project Code-Named “Houston”.

What exactly is “Houston”

Microsoft® Project Code-Named “Houston” is a lightweight and easy to use database management tool for SQL Azure databases. It is designed specifically for Web developers and other technology professionals seeking a straightforward solution to quickly develop, deploy, and manage their data-driven applications in the cloud. Project “Houston” provides a web-based database management tool for basic database management tasks like authoring and executing queries, designing and editing a database schema, and editing table data.

How do I get started?

For this initial CTP, you can access “Houston” from SQL Azure Labs. You also need to make sure that you check the “Allow Microsoft Services” checkbox in your firewall to allow “Houston” to communicate with your databases. You can learn more on the SQL Azure firewall here.

We have also put together some starter videos for you. Those videos are as follows:

• Video – Tables – This video demonstrates how use Project “Houston” to create and modify a table in an existing SQL Server database.
• Video – Queries – This video describes how use Project “Houston” to create, modify, execute, save, and open a Transact-SQL query.
• Video – Views – This video shows how use Project “Houston” to create, select, and modify views.
• Video – Stored procedures – This video shows how use Project “Houston” to create, select, and modify stored procedures.

Talk of the Town

If you are letting your friends and followers know about Microsoft® Project Code-Named “Houston” use the #sqlhouston hash code for Twitter and Facebook.

Known Issues

As with any CTP, there are issues that we are aware of and are working to fix. These issues are as follows:

Logon Page

Issue-1: You might see repeated display of the Terms of Use dialog.

Workaround: To prevent the Terms of Use dialog from displaying after it has been accepted, enable isolated storage in Silverlight.

To enable isolated storage, use the following steps:

1. Right-click anywhere inside the Project “Houston” application. You will see a Silverlight button.
2. Click on the Silverlight button, then click on the Application Storage tab.
3. Check the Enable application storage check box, then click OK.

To disable isolated storage, use the following steps. Note that the Project “Houston” Terms of Use dialog will display if isolated storage is disabled.

1. Right-click anywhere inside the Project “Houston” application. You will see a Silverlight button.
2. Click on the Silverlight button, then click on the Application Storage tab.
3. Uncheck the Enable application storage check box.
4. Click the Delete all… button, then click OK.

Start Page

Issue-2: The read-only status on the Start Page might be incorrect.

Workaround: You might have write permissions even if Project “Houston” displays read-only status.

Issue-3: The Start Page cannot be re-opened once it has been closed.

Workaround: To display the Start Page after it has been closed, logoff of Project “Houston” then logon again.

Issue-4: Database properties are retrieved at the time of login and do not get refreshed during the session.

Workaround: To refresh the database, logoff of Project “Houston” then logon again.

Display

Issue-5: The Project “Houston” user interface might be rendered incorrectly when the browser zoom is not set to 100%.

Workaround: Whenever possible, keep browser zoom set to 100%.

Issue-6: The names of columns, tables, views, stored procedures might get truncated if they are too long.

Workaround: There is no workaround for this issue in this release.

General Behavior

Issue-7: Dirty state and Save button are not updated immediately when a change is made. Instead, they will get updated only after you switch focus to a different user interface context.

Workaround: After you have modified the body of an existing stored procedure, you must click on another user interface control – e.g., the parameter of the stored procedure, before the dirty icon and the Save button will be enabled.

Issue-8: If you switch to the message tab from the result tab after executing a query, the state will be marked as dirty.

Workaround: Ignore the dirty icon.

Issue-9: While loading one or more objects – e.g., in the navigation pane or in new workspaces, operations might not work properly.

Workaround: Do not save or execute before the loading operation completes.

Issue-10: Pressing the Stop button during a logon attempt or query execution does not stop the operation.

Workaround: There is no workaround for this issue in this release.

Issue-11: Inconsistent ways to enter default values.

Workaround: For int, specify the number only- e.g., 7. For varchar, specify the string values surrounded by single quotes – e.g., ‘hello’. If you specify values in an incorrect format, you might get an error.

Issue-12: Inconsistent ways to display default values.

Workaround: For int, like 6, specify ((6)); however, for varchar, like hello, specify (‘hello’).

Issue-13: Changing an existing default value in the table designer leads to an error.

Workaround: Perform the action using the Transact-SQL editor.

Issue-14: Cannot specify the order of columns for a composite primary key in the table designer.

Workaround: Perform the action using the Transact-SQL editor.

Issue-15: Changing an existing primary key in the table designer leads to error.

Workaround: Perform the action using the Transact-SQL editor.

Issue-16: Some column types are not supported for editing/viewing in GUI, including binary, XML, Unique identifier, timestamp, geography, geometry and hierarchy.

Workaround: There is no workaround for this issue in this release.

Issue-17: For all date types, the date and time part are in the form mm/dd/yyy hh:mm:ss AM/PM. A date control is used for editing the value.

Workaround: Specify the value in the correct format as free text.

Issue-18: Closing a dirty workspace with schema changes does not discard the unsaved changes.

Workaround: To quit the dirty workspace, logoff of Project “Houston” then logon again.

Major functionalities missing in canonical scenarios

Issue-19: The user interface does not support drop object and refresh database operations.

Workaround: Use Transact-SQL to drop objects in the Transact-SQL editor. To refresh database properties, logoff of Project “Houston” then logon again.

Feedback or Bugs?

This release of Project “Houston” is not supported by standard Microsoft support services. For community-based support, post a question to the SQL Azure Labs MSDN forums. The product team will do its best to answer any questions posted there.

To log a bug about Project “Houston” in this release, use the following steps:

1. Navigate to Https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/Feedback.
2. You will be prompted to search our existing feedback to verify your issue has not already been submitted.
3. Once you verify that your issue has not been submitted, scroll down the page and click on the orange Submit Feedback button in the left-hand navigation bar.
4. On the Select Feedback form, click SQL Server Bug Form.
5. On the bug form, select Version = Houston build CTP 1 – 10.50.9610.34.
6. On the bug form, select Category = Tools (Houston).
7. Complete your request.
8. Click Submit to send the form to Microsoft.

To provide feedback about Project “Houston” in this release, use the following steps:

1. Navigate to Https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/Feedback.
2. You will be prompted to search our existing feedback to verify your issue has not already been submitted.
3. Once you verify that your issue has not been submitted, scroll down the page and click on the orange Submit Feedback button in the left-hand navigation bar.
4. On the Select Feedback form, click SQL Server Suggestion Form.
5. On the bug form, select Category = Tools (Houston).
6. Complete your request.
7. Click Submit to send the form to Microsoft.

If you have any questions about the feedback submission process or about accessing the portal, send us an e-mail message: sqlconne@microsoft.com.