Unable to display SQL Azure table definition in Visual Studio 2013

Question

The error I am getting is:

Problem loading: The designer encountered an error while loading the table definition

I can view the data within the tables inside VS just fine and can even query the data too. This is a fresh install on my computer.

What I have tried:

• Tried viewing the table in both "Server Explorer" and "SQL Server Object Explorer."
• Checked if my login credentials has permissions to create tables in the "Management Portal."
• Installed SSMS and still cannot show the design of the table
• Tried connecting to the database using OLE DB and SQL Server data providers, but I still get the same issue
• Added my IP connection to the server firewall and turned on "Windows Azure Services"
• Set the connection timout counter to zero

This is the image of my error. I generated a very simple user table just for testing purposes from the Management Portal.

This is a simple test to connect to the Azure database without using a project template. This is my first time using SQL Azure just to warn you. Sure I can just stick to using the Management Portal to change the table definition and stuff like that, but I was wanting to keep everything in one program.

Answer 1

I have found this issue only applies when using the new "Basic/Standard" tier of databases in Azure. If you switch back to the older style "Web/Business" tiers it will start working again.

Answer 2

I found this on a Microsoft forum after struggling for hours. It still takes an age to load, but with the preview SSDT tools, I did get a visual editor for the first time.

Posted by Microsoft on 1/7/2015 at 1:59 PM:

This bug has been fixed in the Preview release to support Azure SQL Database Update V12

See http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ssdt/archive/2014/12/18/sql-server-database-tooling-preview-release-for-the-latest-azure-sql-database-update-v12-preview.aspx for details of this.

The fix will also be included in our next full (non-Preview) release.

Thanks, Kevin Cunnane, SQL Server database tooling team