What question did this study set out to answer?

This guide aims to provide practical strategies for versioning the database schema of business applications.

July 29, 2026Open Access

Versioning Your Business App's Database Schema — Migration Practices to Prevent 'Every Customer Has a Different DB' (archived 2026-07-27)

Key Points

This guide aims to provide practical strategies for versioning the database schema of business applications.
Introduces the use of PRAGMA user_version for managing database versions.
Details a C# implementation for forward migrations and includes a decision table.
Discusses two-stage expand-contract release strategies.
Establishes a framework for ensuring consistent database versions across multiple customer sites.
Highlights methods to streamline migration processes, reducing the impact of individual customizations.
Promotes practices that can enhance maintainability and reliability of the app's database schema.

Abstract

A practical guide to versioning the database schema of a business app whose databases are scattered across customer sites. Covers PRAGMA userᵥersion and a C# implementation of forward migrations, a decision table for EF Core Migrations, DbUp, and hand-rolled implementations, and two-stage expand-contract releases. Archived version of https: //comcomponent. com/en/blog/db-schema-migration-versioning-business-apps/, as published on 2026-07-27. The live article is maintained and may change after this date. First published 2026-07-17.

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