SQL Server provides various tools that help improve the efficiency of database developers. The SQL Server Management Studio is one such tool that helps in creating and maintaining database objects. The SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio is another tool that helps in creating and implementing BI solutions. The server also provides tools, such as the Database Engine Tuning Advisor and the SQL Server Configuration Manger that help the database administrator in configuring the server and optimizing the performance.
Here’s the list contains main components of the SQL Server Management Studio.
Object Explorer: An Object Explorer provides the ability to register, browse, and manage servers. Using Object Explorer, you can also create, browse, and manage server components. The explorer allows you to configure:
Solution Explorer: The Solution Explorer provides on organized view of your projects and files. In this explorer, you can right-click on a project of file to manage or set their properties.
Query Editor: The Query Editor provides the ability to execute queries written in T-SQL. It can be invoked by selecting the New Query option from the File menu or the New Query button from the Standard toolbar.
Template Explorer: The Template Explorer provides a set of templates of SQL queries to perform standard database operations. You can use these queries to reduce the time spent in creating queries.
Dynamic Help: The Dynamic Help is available from the Help menu of the SQL Server Management Studio. This tool automatically displays links to relevant information while users work in the management studio environment.
It helps building the following types of solutions:
In addition, the tool allows you to manage the network connectivity configuration from the SQL Server client computers. It allows you to specify the protocols through which the client computers can connect to the server.
SQL Server Management Studio
The SQL Server Management Studio is a powerful tool associated with SQL Server, it provides a simple and integrated environment for developing and managing the SQL Server database objects. The following figure shows the SQL Server Management Studio starting interface.Here’s the list contains main components of the SQL Server Management Studio.
Object Explorer: An Object Explorer provides the ability to register, browse, and manage servers. Using Object Explorer, you can also create, browse, and manage server components. The explorer allows you to configure:
- Security: Used to create log on Ids and users and to assign permissions.
- Notification Services: Used to generate and send notifications to users.
- Replication: Used to create and manage publishers and subscribers.
- SQL Server Agent: Used to automate administrative tasks by creating and managing jobs, alerts, and operators.
- Management Services: Used to configure Distributed Transaction Coordinator, Full-Text search, Database Mail service, or SQL Server logs.
- Server Objects: Used to create and manage backups, endpoints, and triggers.
Solution Explorer: The Solution Explorer provides on organized view of your projects and files. In this explorer, you can right-click on a project of file to manage or set their properties.
Query Editor: The Query Editor provides the ability to execute queries written in T-SQL. It can be invoked by selecting the New Query option from the File menu or the New Query button from the Standard toolbar.
Template Explorer: The Template Explorer provides a set of templates of SQL queries to perform standard database operations. You can use these queries to reduce the time spent in creating queries.
Dynamic Help: The Dynamic Help is available from the Help menu of the SQL Server Management Studio. This tool automatically displays links to relevant information while users work in the management studio environment.
SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio
The Business Intelligence Development Studio is a tool that provides an environment to develop business intelligence solutions. These solutions are based on the data that was generated in the organization and helps in business forecasting and making strategic decisions and future plans.It helps building the following types of solutions:
- Data Integration: The integration services allow you to build solutions that integrate data from various data sources and store them in a common data warehouse.
- Data Analysis: The analysis services help analyse the data stored in the data warehouse.
- Data Reporting: The reporting services allow you to build reports in different formats that are based on the data warehouse.
Database Engine Tuning Advisor
The Database Engine Tuning Advisor helps database administrators to analyse and tune the performance of the server. To analyse the performance of the server, the administrator can execute a set of T-SQL statements against a database. After analysing the performance of these statements, the tool provides recommendations to add, remove, or modify database objects, such as indexes or indexed views to improve performance. These recommended help in executing the given T-SQL statements in the minimum possible time.SQL Server Configuration Manager
The SQL Server Configuration Manager helps the database administrators to manage the services associated with the SQL Server. By default, in SQL Server, some services such as full-text search, SQL Server Agent, and integration services are not enabled. Administrators can start, pause, resume, or stop these services by using this tool.In addition, the tool allows you to manage the network connectivity configuration from the SQL Server client computers. It allows you to specify the protocols through which the client computers can connect to the server.
