SQLS DBA Management Tools

[foxdev]

I've used SQL Probe (Subquery Innovations), and it does a lot and is quite fast; but a bit pricey, and the user interface is sometimes a little odd.

Have you used a similar DBA-type server tool that you can recommend?

Robert Bradley

http://www.foxdev.com/

 

[TomSark]

What do you predominantly need to use the tool for?

Tom

 

[foxdev]

The best I can describe it is: "general maintenance". Pretty vague, I know, but essentially:

* monitoring database and log sizes
* checking overall db integrity
* checking table/index reorg status

Basically, a tool to help alert me when things are a bit out of whack (when things are on fire, its pretty easy to tell).

SQL Probe is a pretty handy tool, though it is predominately read-only (which has its good points, too). Just today, by simply scanning the database overview I caught a backup job that I had intended to backup the main db instead backing up the log. Sure, I would have caught it eventually, and certainly there is one or more SPs and other built-in tools that would give me the same things; but SQL Probe is just so dang handy, and it shows me some things I'd really have to dig for using the built-in tools.

I'm probably giving you more than you asked for, Tom; sorry. Thus far, I've identified one other tool that seems good, too (DBArtisan).

Robert Bradley

http://www.foxdev.com/

 

[TomSark]

Hi Robert,

I have looked at Spotlight for SQL Server from Quest Software. I monitors a lot of different things... you can get a free eval version from them, but I don't remember the link. I saw their add in SQL Server Magazing to get their link...

It's pretty good and it simply combines just about everything you might care to monitor into a single application. That's all I have looked at tho...


Tom

 

[foxdev]

Thanks, Tom - I've just downloaded a demo from

http://www.quest.com

and I'll try it out. Quest is also the publisher of TOAD, an Oracle tool I've used that is absolutely top-notch.

Also, in my research I've found that DBArtisan by Embarcadero is the other apparent competitor to the products mentioned.

Robert Bradley

http://www.foxdev.com/

 

[TomSark]

DBArtisan is a very cool tool. I simply love it, but I haven't used the latest version, and wasn't aware that it had monitoring capabilites...

Tom