How to Build the Essential SQL Server Administration Tool Chest

by Nov 28, 2016

A well-equipped tool chest is essential for completing jobs around the home — everything from hanging a picture frame to putting together furniture or working on major home improvements. A tool chest often starts with a small investment and grows over time as needs change. That is why database professionals require a comprehensive range of software applications for database administration. For example, manage storage, inventory, index fragmentation, backups, jobs, and security. Moreover, database professionals need a full spectrum of application scope: From simple fit-for-purpose tools to full-featured applications.

Focusing on SQL Server, here are some examples of how IDERA helps database professionals administer their databases:

Storage

View storage allocation, utilization, and data type in all tables of a database with the free SQL Heat Map. Identify disk space usage across instances by drive or database with SQL Admin Toolset’s Space Analyzer. Level up to monitor, alert, and analyze storage performance with the full-featured SQL Diagnostic Manager. Manage, analyze, and diagnose space, data, and performance across multiple database platforms with the full-featured DBArtisan.

Inventory

Discover instances on your network and check for version updates with the free SQL Instance Check. Access more features with SQL Admin Toolset’s Discovery and Patch Analyzer. List and report on inventory and configuration of instances and servers with SQL Admin Toolset’s Inventory Reporter. Level up to also automatically discover new instances, receive alerts on instance health, organize using tags, and access from anywhere using a web-based user interface with the full-featured SQL Inventory Manager.

Index Fragmentation

Find index fragmentation with the free SQL Fragmentation Analyzer. Access more features and rebuild indexes with SQL Admin Toolset’s Quick Reindex. Level up to automatically find fragmentation, schedule defragmentation jobs, avoid database contention using system resource pre-checks, and reduce page splits using index fill factor settings with the full-featured SQL Defrag Manager.

Backup

View your backup history with the free SQL Backup Status Reporter. Access more features with SQL Admin Toolset’s Backup Status. Level up to backup faster than native SQL Server, save space using dynamic compression, reduce failures from network problems, automate backups, backup to cloud storage, and instantly restore with the full-featured SQL Safe Backup. Read and write data in backup files without restoring (acting like real databases) with the full-featured SQL Virtual Database.

Jobs

View and manage agent jobs across instances with the free SQL Job Manager. Access more features with SQL Admin Toolset’s Job Mover and Job Editor. Level up to also monitor jobs, link jobs to build automated workflows, receive alerts on job health, and access from anywhere using the web-based user interface with the full-featured SQL Enterprise Job Manager.

Security

Extract and migrate user permissions with the free SQL Permissions Extractor. View (missing) logins and synchronize logins with SQL Admin Toolset’s SQL Login Copy. Create new logins by using existing logins as templates with SQL Admin Toolset’s User Clone. Level up to manage permissions, identify vulnerabilities, harden security policies, create security reports, and fulfill compliance audits with the full-featured SQL Secure. Manage, analyze, and diagnose permissions across multiple database platforms with the full-featured DBArtisan.

Opportunity

Use any of IDERA’s 23 free tools at no cost to you. Try SQL Admin Toolset’s 24 tools and most of IDERA’s 24 full-featured applications for free for 14 days.