How do I find the current version of a SQL Server data-tier application?

Question

We are using a SQL Server Data-tier application (dacpac or DAC pack) and I'm having a hard time finding the current version of the database.

Is there a way to obtain the current version using any of these methods:

1. From within SQL Server Management Studio
2. Via a SQL statement
3. Programmatically using .NET code

Answer 1

From within SQL Server Management Studio

From http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee210574.aspx

To view the details of a DAC deployed to an instance of the Database Engine:

1. Select the View/Object Explorer menu.

2. Connect to the instance of the from the Object Explorer pane.

3. Select the View/Object Explorer Details menu.

4. Select the server node in Object Explorer that maps to the instance, and then navigate to the Management\Data-tier Applications node.

5. The list view in the top pane of the details page lists each DAC deployed to the instance of the Database Engine. Select a DAC to display the information in the detail pane at the bottom of the page.

The right-click menu of the Data-tier Applications node is also used to deploy a new DAC or delete an existing DAC.

Via a SQL statement

SELECT instance_name, type_version FROM msdb.dbo.sysdac_instances

Via a SQL statement on Azure

SELECT instance_name, type_version FROM master.dbo.sysdac_instances

Programmatically using .NET code

Note that in DacFx 3.0 this is no longer valid. See my other answer for a way to do it.

C#

ServerConnection serverConnection;
string databaseName;

// Establish a connection to the SQL Server instance.
using (SqlConnection sqlConnection =
    new SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings["DefaultConnection"].ConnectionString))
{
    serverConnection = new ServerConnection(sqlConnection);
    serverConnection.Connect();

    // Assumes default database in connection string is the database we are trying to query.
    databaseName = sqlConnection.Database;
}

// Get the DAC info.
DacStore dacstore = new DacStore(serverConnection);
var dacInstance = dacstore.DacInstances[databaseName];
System.Diagnostics.Debug.Print("Database {0} has Dac pack version {1}.", databaseName, dacInstance.Type.Version);

VB.NET

Dim serverConnection As ServerConnection
Dim databaseName As String

' Establish a connection to the SQL Server instance.
Using sqlConnection As New SqlConnection(ConfigurationManager.ConnectionStrings("DefaultConnection").ConnectionString)
    serverConnection = New ServerConnection(sqlConnection)
    serverConnection.Connect()

    ' Assumes default database in connection string is the database we are trying to query.
    databaseName = sqlConnection.Database
End Using

' Get the DAC info.
Dim dacstore As New DacStore(serverConnection)
Dim dacInstance = dacstore.DacInstances(databaseName)
System.Diagnostics.Debug.Print("Database {0} has Dac pack version {1}.", databaseName, dacInstance.Type.Version)

Answer 2

In DacFx 3.0 the DacStore is no longer available. To get the version from C# code you need to query the database. Here's an example:

  using System;
  using System.Data;
  using System.Data.SqlClient;

  class Program
  {
    static void Main()
    {
      try
      {
        string version = GetDatabaseVersion(@"Initial Catalog=xxx;Data Source=yyy;Integrated Security=True;Pooling=False", false);
        Console.WriteLine("Database has DAC pack version {0}.", version);
      }
      catch (Exception ex)
      {
        Console.ForegroundColor = ConsoleColor.Red;
        Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
        Console.WriteLine();
        Console.ResetColor();
      }
      Console.WriteLine("Press any key to exit");
      Console.ReadKey(true);
    }

/// <summary>
/// Gets the database version.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="connectionString">The connection string of database to query.</param>
/// <param name="isAzure">True if we are querying an Azure database.</param>
/// <returns>DAC pack version</returns>
private static string GetDatabaseVersion(string connectionString, bool isAzure)
{
  var connectionStringBuilder = new SqlConnectionStringBuilder(connectionString);
  string instanceName = connectionStringBuilder.InitialCatalog;
  string databaseToQuery = "msdb";
  if (isAzure)
  {
    // On Azure we must be connected to the master database to query sysdac_instances
    connectionStringBuilder.InitialCatalog = "Master";
    databaseToQuery = "master";
  }

  string query = String.Format("select type_version from {0}.dbo.sysdac_instances WHERE instance_name = '{1}'", databaseToQuery, instanceName);
  using (var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionStringBuilder.ConnectionString))
  {
    connection.Open();
    SqlCommand command = connection.CreateCommand();
    command.CommandText = query;
    command.CommandTimeout = 15;
    command.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
    var version = (string)command.ExecuteScalar();
    return version;
  }
}

}