How can I easier update my application to server using codeIgniter?

OK, here is the problem, I have a running application on the server, and a developing version. User have more and more request and suggestion about the site. So, we need to upgrade the site and the database. Since the database update, we need some datab开发者_如何学JAVAase schema change. How can we handle this? Because if the php program, we can easy as upload all the script files and deploy, but the database, it there any 'diff' for the database? Thank you.

I usually log every change I make to the database structure while I develop. Later I just apply the same changes to production.

You can always use migrations, kinda like rails