Executing SQL Server Stored Procedures with PowerShell

1. Invoke-Sqlcmd Cmdlet: This is the recommended approach. It's a PowerShell cmdlet specifically designed for interacting with SQL Server. Here's an example:

$connectionString = "Server=tcp:your_server_name,1433;Database=your_database;User ID=your_username;Password=your_password"
$sqlCmd = Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance your_server_name -Database your_database -StoredProcedureName "YourStoredProcedureName" -CommandType StoredProcedure

# Process the results (optional)
if ($sqlCmd.RecordCount -gt 0) {
  $sqlCmd | Format-Table
}

Explanation:

• We define a connection string with server details, database, username, and password.
• Invoke-Sqlcmd is called with parameters:
  • -ServerInstance: Your SQL Server name.
  • -Database: The database containing the stored procedure.
  • -StoredProcedureName: The name of the stored procedure to execute.
  • -CommandType StoredProcedure: Specifies we're calling a stored procedure.
• The RecordCount property indicates if any rows were returned by the procedure.
• Finally, you can use Format-Table to display the returned data in a tabular format (optional).

1. SQLCMD Utility (not recommended for new scripts): While less common now, you can use the sqlcmd utility from PowerShell. This requires installing SQL Server command line tools. The syntax is similar to running sqlcmd from the command prompt.

Security Considerations:

• Avoid storing connection strings directly in scripts. Use environment variables or secure credential stores.
• Use parameterized queries to prevent SQL injection vulnerabilities.

Additional Points:

• You can pass parameters to the stored procedure using the -SqlParameter parameter of Invoke-Sqlcmd.
• Explore creating reusable functions in PowerShell to encapsulate stored procedure calls with error handling and logging.

This example calls a stored procedure named "GetCustomerList" which retrieves customer data and displays it in a table format:

$connectionString = "Server=tcp:your_server_name,1433;Database=your_database;User ID=your_username;Password=your_password"

# Call the stored procedure
$sqlCmd = Invoke-Sqlcmd -Connection $connectionString -StoredProcedureName "GetCustomerList" -CommandType StoredProcedure

# Check if any results were returned
if ($sqlCmd.RecordCount -gt 0) {
  # Display results in a table
  $sqlCmd | Format-Table
} else {
  Write-Host "No customer data found."
}

This example calls a stored procedure named "UpdateCustomer" which updates a customer's email address based on the provided customer ID.

$connectionString = "Server=tcp:your_server_name,1433;Database=your_database;User ID=your_username;Password=your_password"
$customerId = 10  # Replace with the actual customer ID
$newEmail = "[email protected]"

# Create parameters for the stored procedure
$params = @{
  CustomerId = $customerId
  NewEmail = $newEmail
}

# Call the stored procedure with parameters
Invoke-Sqlcmd -Connection $connectionString -StoredProcedureName "UpdateCustomer" -CommandType StoredProcedure @params

Write-Host "Customer email address updated successfully."

1. SQLCMD Utility:

This method uses the sqlcmd command-line utility directly within PowerShell. It requires installing the SQL Server command-line tools beforehand. Here's an example:

sqlcmd -S your_server_name -d your_database -U your_username -P your_password -h -e "EXEC YourStoredProcedureName"

• -S: Server name
• -d: Database name
• -U: Username
• -P: Password (-h hides the password from being displayed)
• -e: The Transact-SQL (T-SQL) statement to execute (including the EXEC keyword)

Limitations:

• Less convenient for scripting compared to Invoke-Sqlcmd.
• Not as secure due to storing credentials directly in the script.

1. SQL Server Management Objects (SMOs):

SMOs provide programmatic access to manage SQL Server objects. This method involves creating a PowerShell function or script that leverages SMO classes to connect, execute the stored procedure, and handle results.

Example (function not shown due to complexity):

This method offers more granular control over SQL Server interaction but requires more code and might be overkill for simple stored procedure calls.

• More complex to implement compared to Invoke-Sqlcmd.
• Requires additional libraries and potentially more development effort.

In summary:

• Use Invoke-Sqlcmd for the most straightforward and secure option.
• Consider sqlcmd only for quick one-off executions (not recommended for new scripts).
• Reserve SMOs for advanced scenarios where you need more control over SQL Server object management.