Articles
How-to guides for running one script across many SQL Server and Azure SQL databases, and straight comparisons of the tools that do it.
- How to check what ran last week with run history Every run is recorded - targets, outcome, duration and a result sample - so you can answer "did that go out everywhere?" without guessing.
- How to combine and export query results from every database See one grid across all databases with a source column, then export it to CSV or a single Excel workbook.
- How to fail a CI build when your databases drift apart Use sqlmc list coverage with --fail-on-drift to turn a schema difference into a non-zero exit code in any pipeline.
- How to find which databases are missing a table, column or type change Run a schema coverage scan over a target group to see exactly which databases differ, then prove the fix with a second scan.
- How to preview the exact SQL each database will receive Use Ctrl+Shift+V to see a script after variable substitution, for one target, before anything is sent.
- How to re-run a script on only the databases that failed Set an on-error policy, then use Re-run failed to retry just the targets that did not finish - no hand-built list.
- How to run one script on every database in a few minutes with SQL Multicast Register two servers, build a target group, and run a script across all of its databases - a first run you can finish in fifteen minutes.
- How to share your SQL projects and target groups with your team through git Keep scripts, target groups and environments in a workspace folder under git, with no passwords in the repository.
- How to stop accidental runs on production databases Mark production connections once and SQL Multicast makes you type a word before any script touches them.
- How to use one script for dev, test and production with variables and environments Declare a variable once, give it a value per environment, and run the same script everywhere without editing it.
- How to deploy a schema change to every tenant database (database-per-tenant SQL Server) A practical routine for rolling one schema change across dozens or hundreds of tenant databases - idempotent scripts, run order, what to do when some tenants fail, and how to prove it landed everywhere.
- How to run a script across all your Azure SQL databases Three ways to run one T-SQL script across many Azure SQL databases with Microsoft Entra ID - Elastic Jobs, a PowerShell loop, and a desktop tool - and how to choose between them.
- How to run a SQL script against multiple databases in SQL Server Five ways to run one script across many SQL Server databases, from sp_MSforeachdb to PowerShell to a dedicated tool, with working code and an honest note on where each one stops.
- Query multiple SQL Servers at once in SSMS: Central Management Server, local server groups, and their limits How to run one query against a group of SQL Servers from SSMS using Registered Servers or a Central Management Server, what the results look like, and the limits you hit as the estate grows.
- sp_MSforeachdb skips databases: why, how to check, and what to use instead sp_MSforeachdb is undocumented and can silently skip databases. How to tell whether it skipped any, a reliable replacement in plain T-SQL, and the options for running across servers.
- SQL Multicast vs ApexSQL Propagate How SQL Multicast and Quest's ApexSQL Propagate compare for running SQL scripts across many databases and servers, based on each product's own documentation, with what to check in a trial.
- SQL Multicast vs Redgate SQL Multi Script: an honest comparison How SQL Multicast and Redgate SQL Multi Script compare for running scripts across many SQL Server databases - what both do, where they differ, pricing, and who should pick which.
- SQLCMD mode and variables, explained: :setvar, $(var), :connect and :on error What SQLCMD mode is, how :setvar and $(variables) work in SSMS and sqlcmd, how :connect runs one script against several servers, and the pitfalls - with tested examples.
- The best tools to run a SQL script against multiple databases (2026) A fair rundown of the tools for running one SQL script across many SQL Server and Azure SQL databases - SQL Multicast, Redgate SQL Multi Script, ApexSQL Propagate, dbForge Studio, dbatools, SSMS and Elastic Jobs - and which fits which job.