Tutorial: First Schema Change in 5 Minutes

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Database CI/CD

Bytebase Database CI/CD provides a complete platform for managing database changes throughout the development lifecycle. By eliminating direct database access and enforcing structured processes, it ensures every change is safe, reviewed, and auditable.

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The Database CI/CD Lifecycle

Every database change in Bytebase follows a structured lifecycle, regardless of which workflow you choose:

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1. Plan Change

Define what needs to change—whether it’s a schema migration (DDL) or data modification (DML). Changes can target:
  • A single database
  • Multiple selected databases
  • A Database Group (databases sharing the same schema)

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2. Automatic SQL Review

Built-in SQL advisor validates every change before execution using configurable Review Policies:
  • Syntax validation: Catch SQL errors before deployment
  • Schema rules: Naming conventions, data types, and structure standards
  • Performance checks: Missing indexes, inefficient queries, table scans
  • Security policies: Prevent unsafe operations and data exposure
  • Backward compatibility: Ensure changes won’t break existing applications
  • Best practices: Enforce organizational and industry standards
You can configure SQL Review Policies at the environment or project level to enforce your team’s specific standards and requirements.

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3. Approval Process

Flexible approval mechanisms based on your workflow choice:
  • UI-Driven: Built-in multi-level approval within Bytebase
  • GitOps:
    • Leverage pull request reviews in GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket
    • Integrate with external systems like ServiceNow, Jira, or custom approval workflows
  • Risk-based routing: Automatic approval for low-risk dev changes, mandatory reviews for production

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4. Multi-Environment Rollout Pipeline

Changes progress through your environments in a controlled pipeline:
  • Stage-by-stage promotion: Dev → Test → Staging → Production
  • Configurable deployment paths: Define custom environment chains
  • Database Groups per stage: Different database sets for each environment
  • Gated progression: Manual or automatic promotion between stages
  • Environment-specific policies: Different review rules per stage
Within each stage, deployments execute with precision:
  • Parallel execution: Deploy across Database Groups simultaneously
  • Sequential ordering: Respect dependencies between databases
  • Real-time monitoring: Track progress and view execution logs
  • Automatic retry: Handle transient failures gracefully

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5. Rollback Capabilities

Instant recovery when things go wrong:
  • DML Instant Rollback: One-click recovery for UPDATE/DELETE operations
  • Schema Rollback: Generate reverse migration scripts for DDL changes
  • Automatic backup before risky DML operations

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6. Schema Monitoring

Detect schema drift when changes occur outside the CI/CD pipeline, ensuring your databases remain in their expected state.

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Batch Changes with Database Groups

Deploy changes at scale using Database Groups—logical collections of databases that share the same schema:
  • Multi-tenant SaaS: Update all tenant databases simultaneously
  • Geographic distribution: Roll out to regional databases in controlled waves
  • Environment management: Group databases by dev/staging/prod for systematic promotion
Database Groups enable you to manage 10 or 10,000 databases with the same effort.

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Choose Your Workflow

Bytebase offers two workflows to integrate with your existing processes:

UI-Driven Workflow

Visual, self-contained workflow managed entirely through Bytebase console

GitOps Workflow

Code-first approach integrated with your Git provider (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) and CI/CD pipeline

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Which Workflow Should You Choose?

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Choose UI-Driven Workflow If:

  • You prefer visual interfaces — Point-and-click change management with immediate feedback
  • You need centralized control — All database changes managed in one dedicated platform
  • Multiple teams involved — DBAs, security, and compliance teams need visibility and approval rights
  • No existing CI/CD for databases — Get started quickly without setting up additional infrastructure
  • Ad-hoc changes are common — Hotfixes and emergency changes need quick turnaround
Best for: Teams establishing database DevOps practices, organizations with dedicated DBAs, enterprises requiring multi-level approvals Learn more about UI-Driven Workflow →

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Choose GitOps Workflow If:

  • Database schema = Application code — Migration scripts live alongside your application
  • Existing CI/CD pipelines — Database changes follow your established deployment process
  • Developer-centric culture — Engineers own the full stack including database
  • Git is your source of truth — All changes tracked through version control
  • Automation first — Minimize manual intervention in deployments
Best for: DevOps teams, microservices architectures, organizations practicing Infrastructure-as-Code Learn more about GitOps Workflow →

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Can I Use Both?

Yes! Many teams use both workflows:
  • GitOps for routine application deployments
  • UI-Driven for complex migrations, hotfixes, or sensitive production changes
  • Different workflows for different teams or projects
Both workflows share the same underlying CI/CD lifecycle, ensuring consistency regardless of how changes are initiated.