Tools - SQL Server connections

This section highlights the usage of tools including third party tools that are used with SQL Server version.

Last updated on Tuesday, February 06, 2007

SQLIO Disk Subsystem Benchmark Tool
SQLIO is easy to use and it doesn't use the SQL Server storage engine (because SQL Server does not need to be installed already) but a minimal knowledge of SQL Server and disk subsystem is required. To download visit http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=9a8b005b-84e4-4f24-8d65-cb53442d9e19&displaylang=en link.

SQL Server 2000 security tools are used to scan instances of SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft SQL Server Desktop Engine (MSDE) 2000. The tools help detect instances vulnerable to the "Slammer" worm, and then apply updates to the affected files.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&familyid=9552d43b-04eb-4af9-9e24-6cde4d933600 download from here.

SQL Server Best Practices Analyzer (BPA)
The Friendly Name allows you to further identify your SQL Server, and if you change your SQL Server name, the BPA tool will still work using the Friendly user screens. To know more about this tool refer to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=b352eb1f-d3ca-44ee-893e-9e07339c1f22&displaylang=en link.

DDL Archive Utility
This free tool will help you create SQL Server 2000 DDL scripts that are Visual SourceSafe compatible. http://searchsqlserver.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid87_gci1145695,00.html to download.

SQL Server Comparison tool - http://www.sql-server-tool.com/
is a Windows program for analyzing, comparing and documenting SQL Server databases. It's an ideal tool for Database Administrators (DBA) and Developers.

ApexSQL LLC is a leading provider of value added software tools for Microsoft SQL Server. Most of their tools won the Gold award for Database Development category beating out other bigger and well known SQL Editors like Embarcadero Rapid SQL and Quest Toad. Follow the links to try the Evaluation edition of these tools:

ApexSQL Developer Studio
All of the ApexSQL Developer (client licensed) tools: ApexSQL Code, ApexSQL Audit, ApexSQL Clean, ApexSQL Diff, ApexSQL Doc, ApexSQL Script and ApexSQL Edit. Download : http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#studios

ApexSQL Universal Studio
A SQL Lovers suite of all 9 popular ApexSQL Products: ApexSQL Code, ApexSQL Audit, ApexSQL Script, ApexSQL Clean, ApexSQL Diff, ApexSQL Log, ApexSQL Report, ApexSQL Doc and ApexSQL Edit. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp

ApexSQL Audit
Is a comprehensive, enterprise-level tool for auditing Microsoft SQL Server Databases. The tool is both configurable and scriptable allowing for easily modifying auditing architectures or even creating new ones with the full feature trigger template IDE. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#audit

ApexSQL Clean
Offers Risk free deletion by automatically detecting and removing unused stored procedures, views and tables in your SQL Server Database. With the powerful new visual dependency viewer database interdependencies can be viewed graphically. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#clean

ApexSQL Code
Is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) Code Generation Tool for use with SQL Server that creates custom code patterns in a variety of languages like VB, ASP, C#, VB.NET, Delphi etc. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#code

ApexSQL Diff
Is a high speed Database comparison and synchronization tool. Automatically generate scripts to merge two databases, graphically view object script differences and output differences to XML. Compare both structure and data.

Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#diff

ApexSQL Doc
It automatically documents your database into compiled HTML help format, HTML and HTML 2.0. ApexSQL Doc produces a richly detailed, well organized and presented output. Download : http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#doc

ApexSQL Edit
It is a complete development, editing and deployment environment for SQL Server Developers. ApexSQL Edit provides integration with any SCC compliant Source Control system, Intelliprompt and powerful features like collapsible editing regions, unit testing and deployment features. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#edit

ApexSQL Log
This tool reads the SQL Server Transaction Log allowing you to audit data changes passively, with no database triggers. Includes powerful Recovery Wizard that allows for recovery of lost, deleted and truncated data. As well as dropped objects. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#log

ApexSQL Report
Is a sophisticated data driven reporting application, written in ASP.NET, that uses Stored Procedure Metadata to create sort able and page able HTML reports. Create output in HTML, Excel and animated graphs. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#report

ApexSQL Script
Is an integrated solution for scripting SQL Server databases including Data and Structures into variety of output forms from Scripts to Packages and .NET executables. Download: http://www.apexsql.com/downloads.asp#script

Quest Software

Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server, ensure Database Quality, Performance and Availability. Simplify the manual, time-intensive tasks associated with SQL Server design, development, code optimization, performance and availability.

LiteSpeed for SQL Server
Advanced backup and recovery software for Microsoft SQL Server providing integrated high performance compression and encryption technology that results in:

95% savings in data compression ratios
90% reduction of backup storage costs
75% reduction of backup and restore times
75% faster restores
Improved overall performance

Download: http://www.quest.com/litespeed_for_sql_server/

Toad™ for SQL Server
It leverages the knowledge gained from our past experience with database development tools and empowers SQL Server developers and administrators of varying skill levels to rapidly create and execute queries, automate database object management and write, debug, and tune T-SQL code more efficiently. Quest offers interactive community support from both peers and industry experts through online discussion groups, the Quest Pipelines Web site and newsletters, and events designed especially for the Toad for SQL Server community of users.
Download: http://www.quest.com/toad_for_sql_server/

Spotlight on SQL Server Enterprise
This tool diagnoses SQL Server problems in real time by graphically displaying all database activity in an intuitive user interface, enabling you to respond quickly to issues that need attention.

Download: http://www.quest.com/spotlight_on_sql_server_enterprise/

Capacity Manager for SQL Server

That makes it possible to extract maximum efficiency and performance from complex SQL Server environments while minimizing outages and downtime.

Download: http://www.quest.com/capacity_manager_for_sql_server/

Quest Central for SQL Server
A comprehensive data management workbench that enables DBAs to manage more databases from a single, integrated interface. Quest http://www.quest.com/spotlight_on_sql_server_enterprise/Central for SQL Server combines best-of-breed products for:
Database Analysis
Performance Analysis
Performance Diagnostics
Performance Monitoring
Database Administration
Space Management
SQL Tuning
Load Testing/Data Generation

Download: http://www.quest.com/Quest_Central_for_SQL_Server/

Knowledge Xpert™ for SQL Server
Is a comprehensive, Windows-based technical resource designed to give you quick access to expert advice to solve common and complex management issues for SQL Server 2000.

Download: http://www.quest.com/knowledge_xpert_for_sql_server/

Benchmark Factory® for Databases
Its a database scalability testing solution that is built specifically for database developers. Benchmark Factory prevents unplanned downtime and slow performance by testing your system's limits before your application is deployed to production.

Download: http://www.quest.com/benchmark_factory/

Foglight Cartridge for SQL Server
Foglight is a powerful console that monitors every tier in your critical application technology stacks including databases, networks, application servers, process schedulers and Web servers, alerting you to problems before they impact end users. The Foglight Cartridge for SQL Server simplifies performance reporting and provides immediate and reliable alerts for SQL Server. By automatically collecting and correlating multiple event conditions and statistic counters, there is no need for complicated scripting and report generation.

Download: http://www.quest.com/foglight_cartridge_for_sql_server/

SQL Turbo
Is a revolutionary search tool which dramatically increases the speed of SQL Server’s free text retrieval while significantly enhancing the performance and data processing range of SQL Server Search

Leveraging off the unique SQL-based architecture behind the Quest Search Engine, SQL Turbo adds all the advanced features you need in SQL for building a professional search application — and at a fraction of the price of leading search vendors.

Download: http://www.quest.com/sql_turbo/

Comparison Suite for SQL Server
Quest Comparison Suite is a client-based compare product suite that allows database administrators to compare and synchronize schema, data, and server settings of two SQL Server environments and includes:
Offline snapshots for quick and easy version control of schema and server configurations
Single user interface for all three products: enables you to run compare and/or synchronization of schemas, data or servers within your SQL Server environment from a single console
Advanced functionality to easily filter objects to be included in the compare and synchronization process.

Download: http://www.quest.com/Comparison_Suite_for_SQL_Server/

Coefficient for SQL Server
Database SQL profiling and analysis for Microsoft™ SQL Server 7 and 2000.

Download : http://www.quest.com/coefficient/

Toad Data Modeler
This tool enables developers, DBAs, and designers to create, maintain and document quality database designs and structures across more than 20 different platforms.

Download: http://www.quest.com/Toad_Data_Modeler/

SQL Watch
This tool detects changes to the metadata of a SQL Server database notifying an administrator with the exact details of the changes with an emailed report.
Download: http://www.quest.com/sql_watch/

Idera offers the ultimate data management and administration software, providing you with the time, freedom and flexibility to work on your more important tasks.

SQL defrag manager
Automate & optimize database defragmantation – enables organizations to improve server performance and optimize disk I/O. The intelligence and automation built into SQL defrag manager enables DBAs to implement a set it and forget it approach to managing fragmentation on their production SQL Servers. SQL defrag manager automatically picks the best time to analyze fragmentation and the best approach to defragment based on user defined criteria and analyses of historical data stored in a central repository.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLdefrag/

SQL<>Secure

Assess security risks & audit access rights – provides a powerful solution that automates analyzing, assessing, monitoring, auditing and reporting on an entire SQL Server security environment. SQL<>secure allows DBAs to quickly and easily identify the effective access rights and permissions for any given user or group, or on any given object or access control, at any level within SQL Server, including SQL Server, Active Directory and Windows. SQL<>secure also tracks changes made to access rights and privileges.
Download : http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLsecure/

SQL change manager
Manage & monitor schema changes – provides a powerful solution for managing change in Microsoft SQL Server environments. SQL change manager will automate the time-consuming and traditionally error-prone process of database change management, schema management, and version control. SQL change manager enables DBAs to define and schedule plans for: rapid roll out of database changes across one or multiple databases, change monitoring and reporting, change roll back in the event of error, and the ability to recover lost or damaged database objects.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLchange/

SQL diagnostic manager
Monitor, diagnose & manage performance – provides a powerful performance monitoring and management, alerting and diagnostics for SQL Server enterprises. Provides extensive real-time and historic performance metrics and details for multiple SQL Servers from a central point of control. Helps to pinpoint, diagnose and solve performance issues faster. Easy-to-use and understand.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLdm/

SQL mobile manager
Monitor, diagnose & manage performance from a PDA – provides portable monitoring and administration for Microsoft SQL Server environments, enabling remote monitoring, management, and control from a Windows Mobile Device such as a cell phone or PDA.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLmobile/

SQL compliance manager
Capture, audit & alert on user activity – provides powerful, low overhead auditing and compliance for Microsoft SQL Server to ease compliance with internal audit or federal regulatory requirements such as HIPPA, GLBA or Sarbanes Oxley. Also offers a central repository for all audit data, a central management console, pre-defined or ad hoc compliance reporting, a secure auditors console, data for forensic analysis, and efficient, secure data archival.

Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLmobile/

SQLsafe
Accelerate, compress & encrypt database backups – provides high-performance backup and recovery for Microsoft SQL Server enterprises. SQLsafe provides fast compressed and secure encrypted backup, reduced storage costs, automated multi-server backup management, and enterprise manageability. SQLsafe will speed database backups by up to 50% over native backups and will reduce disk space requirements by up to 95%.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLsafe/

SQLscaler
Test database scalability & performance – provides powerful load testing for predicting the behavior and performance of SQL Server databases under stress. Helps with planning and design for key projects like consolidation, migration, new hardware implementation, or capacity planning. Creates and inflates test databases, automates test case execution, and analyzes test results without affecting your production environment.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLscaler/

SQLschedule
Manage & monitor SQL Agent jobs – schedule and manage all SQL Server jobs from a central point of control – an easy to use calendar-based interface. Increase availability and performance with reduced job failure rates and overlap. Provides historic and future job schedule information. Allows for quick and easy resolution of job conflicts or load balancing, simply drag and drop to adjust any job.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLschedule/

SQLconfig
Manage & monitor configuration changes – monitors any key changes to database server hardware, operating system SQL Server instance and database configuration -- providing both automated change notification and comprehensive reporting on changes in a SQL Server environment. In addition, SQLconfig allows database managers to fine-tune and control SQL Server configuration across an entire infrastructure.
Download: http://www.idera.com/Products/SQLconfig/

SQLOOGLE

Your destination for SQL Server information.