Mx.exe Command Line Reference

  • Article

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The Mx.exe program provides support for several important tasks involving Microsoft code name “M” image files and other general tasks involving the Modeling Services database. These commands can be grouped into two categories.

The following commands support operations related to “M” image files.

  • install

  • uninstall

  • export

  • list

The install command installs image files created by the Microsoft code name “M” compiler into a SQL Server database. Mx.exe takes one or more image files and installs them into a specified database. The uninstall command removes a previously installed image from the target database. The export command exports a database schema, extent, or image into a “M” image file. The list command lists all images currently loaded in a database.

The following commands support general tasks associated with the Modeling Services database.

  • create

  • createFolder

  • dropFolder

  • infer

The create command creates a new SQL Server database on the specified server. You have to then install the Base Domain Library (BDL) to change this database into a Modeling Services database.

The createFolder command creates a new Modeling Services Folder, whereas the dropFolder command removes a Folder. For more information about Modeling Services Folders, see Using Folders and Ids. The infer command infers a catalog from the SQL Server schema information of a non-Modeling Services database.

Command Line Usage

To run Mx.exe, open a Microsoft SQL Server Modeling CTP Command Prompt from the Start Menu. This will automatically place the bin directory in your path.

Each invocation of Mx.exe requires specifying one of the eight main commands. There are global parameters that can be used by all of these commands. There are also specific parameters for some commands that apply only to those commands. The sections that follow describe the global parameters first. There is then a separate section describing the specialized parameters for each command.

Global Parameters

Use the following parameters to specify the database connection, security features, and other options that apply to all command types.

Option Alias Description

server:

s

Specifies the SQL Server to connect to. (Default = .)

database:

d

Specifies the target database on the server to work against. The database must exist prior to the connection unless the create option is specified for the install command.

trustedConnection:

t

Specifies the security setting for the connection. Possible values include None, Integrated, and SSPI. (Default = Integrated)

user:

u

Specifies the user name for the connection. This is required if the trustedConnection option specifies a value of None.

password:

p

Specifies the password for the connection. This is required if the trustedConnection option specifies a value of None.

loginTimeout:

lt

Specifies the timeout value in seconds for the login when connecting to the server. (Default = 15)

commandTimeout:

ct

Specifies the timeout value in seconds for running SQL commands. (Default = 300)

userInstance

ui

Specifies whether to redirect the connection from the default SQL Server Express instance to a runtime-initiated instance running under the account of the caller.

verbose

v

Specifies to print the verbose output for Mx.exe.

nologo

nologo

Hides the program logo.

?

?

Displays the command-line help text.

@<file>

@<file>

Read <file> for more parameters. For example, if the parameters were contained in the file params.txt, you could pass this file with the following command: mx.exe @params.txt.

Install Parameters

The following parameters are used when installing images into a SQL Server 2008 database. Note that the target .mx image files should be listed immediately following the install command and before the list of parameters. This could be one or more .mx files, or it could be a wildcard value, such as *.mx. The following command provides an example of installing a Shape.mx file into a Repository database on the local machine.

mx.exe install Shape.mx -database:Repository
Option Alias Description

create

c

Creates the target database.

force

f

Performs a forced installation of an image. If a matching image exists in the target database, it is uninstalled before installing the new version of the image.

recurse:

r

Specifies the image files to reference when resolving dependencies. Wildcards can be used. Multiple image files should be separated by commas.

ignore

ig

Ignores missing dependencies that cannot be resolved.

property:

pt

Specify a custom property in the form Name=Value.

targetFolder:

tf

The Folder to associate with instances, if their “M” type uses TargetFolder.

Uninstall Parameters

The uninstall command removes an image from a target SQL Server database. The target image must have been installed with the install command. There are no parameters specific to the uninstall command. The following example shows how to use the uninstall command.

mx.exe uninstall Shape -database:Repository

Note that by default, the name of the image is the same as the image file name without the .mx extension. There are times when the uninstall command will be unable to remove an image from the database. In those cases, you have to drop and recreate the target database. For more information, see How to: Update an Existing Model by Recreating the SQL Server Modeling Services Database.

Export Parameters

The export command creates a “M” image file from any SQL Server schema, “M” image, or “M” extent in an existing database. It is also possible to use export to create a text-based “M” source file. You can also control the type of exported information. For example, the output can include or exclude data instances. Instances can also be filtered by a target Folder.

The following example shows how to export a Shape image that was previously installed into a Repository database.

mx.exe export -database:Repository -image:Shape –package:Image -out:NewShapeImage.mx
Option Alias Description

image:

i

Exports an image stored in the database to an image file. This requires that the infrastructure tables exist to track loaded images.

content:

co

Specifies the type of content to export. Possible values include Schema, Instances, and All. (Default = All)

module:

m

Exports one or more “M” modules or SQL Server schemas from the database to an image file. Multiple modules can be separated by commas. Additional modules can also be specified by using the module option multiple times.

all

all

Exports all of the SQL Server constructs in the database that are associated with “M”.

targetFolder:

tf

The Folder name to use for scoping the specific data instances to export. Only instances that reference the target Folder will be exported.

package:

ep

Specifies the type of file to use for the exported information. Possible values include Text and Image. (Default = Text)

out:

o

Specifies the output file to use when writing out the image file. This parameter is required when the export command is used.

List

There are no parameters specific to the list command. The following example shows how to use the list command.

mx.exe list –database:Repository

Note that a Modeling Services database can track loaded image files. When the list command is used on a Modeling Services database, it will show the images that were loaded by the Mx.exe tool.

Create Parameters

The create command creates a new Modeling Services database.

mx.exe create -database:Repository
Option Alias Description

dataFile:

df

Specify the physical file name for the database.

dataFileInitialSize:

di

Specify the initial size of the data file.

dataFileMaxSize:

dm

Specify the maximum size to which the data file can grow.

dataFileGrowth:

dg

Specify the automatic growth increment of the data file. For set sizes, use KB, MB, GB, or TB following the number (for example, 1GB). For percentages, use the percent sign (for example, 10%).

logFile:

lf

Specify the physical file name for the log.

logFileInitialSize:

li

Specify the size of the log file.

logFileMaxSize:

lm

Specify the maximum size to which the log file can grow.

logFileGrowth

lg

Specify the automatic growth increment of the log file. For set sizes, use KB, MB, GB, or TB following the number (for example, 1GB). For percentages, use the percent sign (for example, 10%).

force

f

Creates the database even if there is an existing database with the same name. The existing database is dropped during this process.

Note that the created database does not contain any models. Adding the standard Base Domain Library (BDL) and other models requires additional steps. For more information, see How to: Manually Install the SQL Server Modeling Services Database and Common Domains.

CreateFolder

The createFolder command creates a Modeling Services Folder based on the specified path. Note that the path uses forward slashes when referring to child Folders. The following example creates a new Folder, named MyFolder, as a child of the system-provided Repository Folder.

mx.exe createFolder Repository/MyFolder -database:Repository

DropFolder

The dropFolder command drops a Modeling Services Folder based on the specified path. The following example drops the MyFolder Folder created in the previous section.

mx.exe dropFolder Repository/MyFolder -database:Repository

Infer

The infer command infers an “M” catalog based on the SQL Server schema of a non-Modeling Services database.

mx.exe infer -database:TargetDatabase

See Also

Other Resources

Using "M" Tools for Data Modeling