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Install DataStar

DataStar ships as a Windows MSI that installs the desktop client and the bundled DataStar.Tools CLI. The installer is fully self-contained, with no other dependencies or frameworks required. The full package is around 68 MB and installs in under a minute.

Supported platforms​

  • Windows 11 (64-bit)

System requirements​

  • 4 GB RAM minimum, 8 GB recommended
  • 500 MB free disk space
  • Network access to your database server, your version-control host (Git or TFVC), and the DataStar licence server
  • (Optional) Network access to your task tracker (Jira or Azure Boards) if you plan to link releases to work items

Install the MSI​

  1. Download the latest MSI from the Download page.
  2. Double-click the installer. Accept the UAC prompt if it appears.
  3. Follow the wizard. The default install path is C:\Program Files\DataStar\.

The installer adds a Start menu shortcut, registers file associations for .ds workspace files, and puts DataStar.Tools.exe on the system PATH for CI/CD and scripting use.

Install via Chocolatey​

If your team uses Chocolatey, you can install from an elevated shell:

choco install datastar

Upgrades work the same way:

choco upgrade datastar

DataStar.Tools (standalone CLI)​

DataStar.Tools is the cross-platform CLI used by CI/CD pipelines to package, deploy, and reverse releases against a target database. It runs on both Windows and Linux agents and is fully self-contained.

It is installed alongside the desktop client by the MSI, but for build and deployment agents that don't need the desktop client you can grab it on its own:

  • ZIP for a direct download onto a build agent: DataStar.Tools.<version>.zip
  • NuGet package for Octopus Deploy and other NuGet-based feeds: DataStar.Tools.<version>.nupkg

Both are available from the Download page under Command-line tools. See the CI/CD overview for how to wire the CLI into your pipeline.

Activate your licence​

DataStar requires an active licence key to run. See How licensing works for how to request one.

Once you have a key:

  1. Launch DataStar from the Start menu.
  2. From the main menu, choose Help → Licence Key.
  3. Paste in your key and click Activate.

The client validates the key against the licence server. Once activated, the key is remembered for that Windows user profile; you won't need to re-enter it on subsequent launches.

Verify the install​

Open a terminal and run:

DataStar.Tools --version

You should see the version you installed (for example, 3.0.3). If the command isn't found, open a new terminal so it picks up the updated PATH, or sign out and back in.

Next steps​

  1. Open or create a workspace.
  2. Walk through a release end-to-end.

Uninstall​

Remove DataStar from Settings → Apps → Installed apps, or run:

choco uninstall datastar

Uninstalling removes the application and CLI. Your workspaces, templates, and per-user settings under %APPDATA%\DataStarV3\ are left intact.

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