Get Better Hold over Your DB

Continued from page: 1

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

DBManager Pro
A company named DBTools Softwares offers a complete database management tool called DBManager that is compatible with various databases like Oracle, MS SQL Server, Sybase, MS Access and MySql. This tool is a comprehensive package of features that a DBA can use to properly manage the database and can also help in efficient database development.

DBManager is designed to support multiple database engines. As applications are being built on different DBMS platforms, tools like DBManager have to help a DBA to have a single interface for various databases that he monitors or is in charge of. DBManager does that with perfection. The tool provides easy management of databases and their tables, procedures, triggers and functions. The interface has default database server connections made for SQLite and MS Access. A new database server connection can be easily made with the Server Manager.

Many a times it is required to import database from one DBMS to another. This requires the DBA to configure various import/export settings and then import the database in a particular format, which can be CSV or XML. DBManager makes the task of the DBA easy by providing DAO import of database from MS Access; also the database can be imported from an XML-based file. For this DBManager has easy to use wizards that allow users the freedom to create the database or to copy imported database tables into an existing database schema.

For development support, the tool has wizard-based table creation features that can provide constraints and relationship management for a table. You can easily create forms and reports for a database table using the Form or Report designers. The Query Builder can be used to create and test queries. Through the Objects panel when you select SQL/DDL templates, you can have a list of templates for various queries, which can be modified to create your own query.

Through the management options a DBA can view the status of the server, database and table activities. The Tools menu also has an option for Task Builder through which the DBA can automate some of the processes like import and export, data manipulation, etc.

SQL Manager has a detailed interface for database browsing. A DB structure can easily be manipulated by clicking on its object in Explorer pane

EMS SQL Manager
EMS has introduced SQL Manager that provides administration and development support to specific databases. The package is available for DBMS like Oracle, PostgreSql, MySql, SQL Server and DBISAM. Here we would be trying SQL Manager for MySql.

The SQL Manager for MySql has full support for MySql server. It is a tool when used for development can help in rapid database creation and efficient designing of the database objects. This tool when in a DBA's arsenal will empower him and his development team to easily create, manipulate and manage the database and its objects.

When installed, the tool gets easily configured with the MySql server instance. The databases on the server get displayed on the database panel. By expanding a database node the structure of the database can be browsed for viewing tables, views, functions, procedures, etc. The interface is easy to get familiar with for a developer, as the panels for data object creation and browsing are well laid out. The tables can be edited and their properties changed by directly double clicking on them.

You can create a new database through Database menu option. The Report designer can be used to create reports in a diagrammatical manner. The interface has tabs to switch between Code and Design view. For a DBA, it's always a concern to keep the check on data integrity, data consistency and data structure, while designing a database. With a tool like SQL manager the work of managing a database for such intricate tasks has become easier.

DTM database tools
DTM database tools unlike other tools are not a package, but a series of small tools that have specific database functionality. These tools can be downloaded from www. sqledit.com. A DBA can choose the functionality he needs a tool for, and can download that in isolation rather than having the whole package.

One such tool that a DBA would need is Data Modeler that can be used by database developers for forward and reverse engineering. This tool can convert a data model into the corresponding database by creating necessary SQL scripts.

Sometimes, it is required to compare two databases, one from production and the other from development environment; or in case of active production data, and its backup. For such cases DTM Data Comparer is used that will compare the two data objects of same or different databases and indicate the differences between them. It can also be used for synchronization of the database.

Once the development of a database has been completed, it has to be populated with some test data so that it can be checked with the application for consistency. DTM Data Generator is a tool specifically catering to such need. Like other packages it also contains an SQL editor. A DBA can use this tool with his developer team.

Thus, depending on his requirements a DBA can choose for package based database management tools or can use tools that are available for specific functionalities of database management.

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