There are quite a few versions of SQL Server Data Tools. Which one should be used?

It all depends on what version of Visual Studio you have. However, note that, you can install stand alone versions of SSDT.

This table shows the versions suitable for Visual studio 2012; Visual Studio 2013; and Visual Studio 2015.

Note the following:
SSDT can be installed standalone or can be integrated into an existing Visual Studio installation. For the preview release, SSDT is supported with Visual Studio 2015 and Visual Studio 2013. If you already have the Professional or higher edition of Visual Studio 2015 or Visual Studio 2013 and did not opt out of installing SQL Server Data Tools during setup, then your machine has an existing installation of SSDT

Download links for the RTM versions:
SSDT 2015 for Visual Studio 2015:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/mt186501
SSDT 2013 for Visual Studio 2013:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/dn864412
SSDT 2012 for Visual Studio 2012:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/jj650015
Well how are they going to function on Windows 10?
If you do not have
Visual Studio 2012/2013/2015  Professional Edition or above you probably will get just a shell with only SSDT related items and nothing else (like VB, C#, etc.)


 

July 2014 Update to SQL Server Data Tools

Latest release of SQL Server Data Tools(SSDT) is now available here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/data/hh297027

This update is now available for Visual Studio 2012 and 2013

Instead of the above link you can also get it from inside Visual Stuido 2012 via Tools -> Extensions and Updates->Updates.

What's new in this:
Of course more bug fixes and some of the following enhancements:

• Schema Compare update

         Added MSBuild support for Schema Compare with text and XML output.  A blog post is    available with more information.

• Improved Windows Azure SQL Database node in the Server Explorer

        Added Token-based authentication using a Microsoft account (MSA) or organizational account (OrgId)

        Added supported for VS2012

• Improved (Parallel Data Warehouse) PDW support

       PDW tooling is now part of the Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows Desktop SKU.  This requires the VS 2013 Update 2 or later to be installed

      Support for PDW appliance updates in both VS2012 and VS2013

Also read:
http://brianwmitchell.com/2013/11/sql-server-to-pdw-migration-whitepaper/

SSDT for SQL Server 2014 here:
http://hodentek.blogspot.com/2014/03/sql-server-data-tools-to-go-with-sql.html

SSDT BI_Templates here:
http://hodentek.blogspot.com/2013/10/ssdt-bi-templates-for-sql-server-2012.html

SSDT Web Site:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/data/tools.aspx

Some problems to install SQL Server 2014 CTP1 on a computer with older versions

My previous post showed that although SQL Server 2012 was uninstalled many of the related programs still stayed in the memory.

http://hodentekmsss.blogspot.com/2013/09/uninstalling-sql-server-2012.html

In addition to SQL Server 2012 the HodentekWin7 computer also had two versions of Visual Studio 2012 and Visual Studio 2013 Preview.

SQL Server 2014 CTP1 cannot be installed on such a computer. In order to install SQL Server 2014 CTP1 all these needed removing. The messages from the setup support rules shown in this image from SQL Server 2014 Setup program.

 

Read the Hardware and Software requirements here:

Hardware and Software requirements here:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143506(v=sql.120).aspx

Solution:

This is a very labor intensive process and therefore SQL Server CTP1 will be installed on the Windows 8 partition on the same computer. Windows 8 partition has no SQL Server although it has a Windows 8 Phone CTP. The partition does not have a RTM version of Windows 8 but a Windows 8 Preview.