SQL Server - Running large script files

Question

I have a database table on a development server that is now fully populated after I set it running with an import routine for a CSV file containing 1.4 million rows.

Answer 1

Why not just use DTS to import the CSV file directly?

Answer 2

Yes we could do that, I tried with BCP(Bulk Copy Program) approach in order to avoid OutOfMemory issue.

Note : Tried in SQLServer 2014

In BCP, first we need to export the Source DataBase data to bcp file(in local directory folder) and then need to import that bcp file to Source DataBase

Below are the cake walk steps:

Note:

a) Make sure empty table is present in Destination DataBase

b) Make sure Temp folder is present in C drive

1) Create a bat file named as Export_Data.bat with below command

bcp.exe [Source_DataBase_Name].[dbo].[TableName] OUT "C:\Temp\TableName.bcp" -S "Computer Name" -U "SQL Server UserName" -P "SQL Server Password" -n -q 

pause

2) Run that bat file, as a result of that a bcp file will get generated in Temp folder

3) Then Create a another bat file named as Import_Data.bat with below command

bcp.exe [Destination_DataBase_Name].[dbo].[TableName] IN "C:\Temp\TableName.bcp" -S "Computer Name" -U "SQL Server UserName" -P "SQL Server Password" -n -q 

Pause

And here we go!!

Answer 3

use the sqlcmd tool to execute the file..

sqlcmd -S myServer\instanceName -i C:\myScript.sql

In case your have an unexplained "script error" for large sql files (> 100MB) which includes several INSERT, just replace "INSERT INTO" by "GO INSERT INTO" in your file, which will reduce size of transaction.

Answer 4

This tool (Big SQL Script File Runner) on CodePlex will run any size script file with log and GUI.

Answer 5

Adding to Gulzar Nazim's answer: If you still get a failure, try specifying the codepage of your SQL file using option -f:

sqlcmd -S myServer\instanceName -d databaseName -i C:\myScript.sql -f 65001

I was trying to import a .dump file from SQLite (UTF-8 by default), and sqlcmd kept throwing an error after encountering the first special character. -f 65001 fixed it for me.

Answer 6

Running something that large inside a single transaction is not a good idea. Therefore, I'd recommend breaking up the file into smaller, more manageable chunks.

Another option is to look at some of the other ways to import CSV data directly.