Staging Idea

So I have a crazy idea for db migration that I want to test out, but I’m curious if anyone can let me know your thoughts. Here goes.

1. Set up a dev server and build the site using Git.
2. Push the files to the server.
3. Do a Mysql Dump and create the Database
4. Verify settings, and you have a Launched site

This part is simple enough, but how about maintaining it. The question everybody has. Git makes moving files between Dev, Staging, and Live easy enough, but the DB is where it gets tricky. Here’s my thought.

1. Use git to make changes.
2. When you are ready, use git to push files Staging server.
3. While on Dev server or Staging Server, have EE log every MySQL query that is a non-stats write query. Then when you are ready to go live, just push out the files with Git, and run this list of queries over the live database. Obviously, you would not be able to edit Channel Entry data in the Dev/Staging Server, but you usually don’t need to. As long as you only did structure changes in Dev/Staging and Data changes in the live server (which is pretty normal), I think this could work.

This would save the long, slow, and error prone process of trying to recreate all the fields you created in the dev server for the new feature you want to add to the live site.

What are your thoughts? Where do you see problems?