When we try to deploy DACPAC through SqlPackage.exe, we periodically see the following error:
An unexpected failure occurred: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.. Unhandled Exception: System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.ReverseEngineerPopulators.Sql90TableBaseColumnPopulator`1.InsertElementIntoParent(SqlColumn element, TElement parent, ReverseEngineerOption option) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.ReverseEngineerPopulators.ChildModelElementPopulator`2.CreateChildElement(TParent parent, EventArgs e, ReverseEngineerOption option) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.ReverseEngineerPopulators.ChildModelElementPopulator`2.PopulateAllChildrenFromCache(IDictionary`2 cache, SqlReverseEngineerRequest request, OrdinalSqlDataReader reader, ReverseEngineerOption option) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.ReverseEngineerPopulators.TopLevelElementPopulator`1.Populate(SqlReverseEngineerRequest request, OrdinalSqlDataReader reader, ReverseEngineerOption option) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.SqlReverseEngineerImpl.ExecutePopulators(ReliableSqlConnection conn, IList`1 populators, Int32 totalPopulatorsCount, Int32 startIndex, Boolean progressAlreadyUpdated, ReverseEngineerOption option, SqlReverseEngineerRequest request) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.SqlReverseEngineerImpl.ExecutePopulatorsInPass(SqlReverseEngineerConnectionContext context, ReverseEngineerOption option, SqlReverseEngineerRequest request, Int32 totalCount, Tuple`2[] populatorsArray) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.SqlReverseEngineerImpl.PopulateBatch(SqlReverseEngineerConnectionContext context, SqlSchemaModel model, ReverseEngineerOption option, ErrorManager errorManager, SqlReverseEngineerRequest request, SqlImportScope importScope) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.SchemaModel.SqlReverseEngineer.PopulateAll(SqlReverseEngineerConnectionContext context, ReverseEngineerOption option, ErrorManager errorManager, Boolean filterManagementScopedElements, SqlImportScope importScope, Boolean optimizeForQuery, ModelStorageType modelType) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.Deployment.SqlDeploymentEndpointServer.ImportDatabase(SqlReverseEngineerConstructor constructor, DeploymentEngineContext context, ErrorManager errorManager) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.Deployment.SqlDeploymentEndpointServer.OnLoad(ErrorManager errors, DeploymentEngineContext context) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.Deployment.SqlDeployment.PrepareModels() at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.Deployment.SqlDeployment.InitializePlanGeneratator() at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.DacServices.<>c__DisplayClass21.<CreateDeploymentArtifactGenerationOperation>b__1f(Object operation, CancellationToken token) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.Operation.Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.IOperation.Run(OperationContext context) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.ReportMessageOperation.Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.IOperation.Run(OperationContext context) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.OperationExtension.Execute(IOperation operation, DacLoggingContext loggingContext, CancellationToken cancellationToken) at Microsoft.SqlServer.Dac.DacServices.GenerateDeployScript(DacPackage package, String targetDatabaseName, DacDeployOptions options, Nullable`1 cancellationToken) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.CommandLineTool.DacServiceUtil.<>c__DisplayClasse.<DoDeployAction>b__4(DacServices service) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.CommandLineTool.DacServiceUtil.ExecuteDeployOperation(String connectionString, String filePath, MessageWrapper messageWrapper, Boolean sourceIsPackage, Boolean targetIsPackage, Func`1 generateScriptFromPackage, Func`2 generateScriptFromDatabase) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.CommandLineTool.DacServiceUtil.DoDeployAction(DeployArguments parsedArgs, Action`1 writeError, Action`2 writeMessage, Action`1 writeWarning) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.CommandLineTool.Program.DoDeployActions(CommandLineArguments parsedArgs) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.CommandLineTool.Program.Run(String[] args) at Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.CommandLineTool.Program.Main(String[] args)
This is an example of the command we are running:
SET vardeploy2=/Action:Script set varBlockOnDriftParameter=/p:BlockWhenDriftDetected=False "SSDTBinaries\SqlPackage.exe" %vardeploy2% %varBlockOnDriftParameter% /SourceFile:"dacpacs\DBName.dacpac" /Profile:"Profiles\%1.DBName.Publish.xml" >> Log.txt 2>>&1
We are deploying an instance of SQL Server 2008 R2. Apparently, the version of SqlPackage.exe is 11.0.2820.0.
The problem is intermittent, which indicates that it is not related to a deployed DACPAC or destination database schema. My best guess is that a problem with the state of the database (possibly locking the schema) is causing the problem, but I could not identify anything unusual during the failures and trying to recreate the problem locally using the locking schema leads to another message about the error.
Has anyone come across this before and come across a solution?