SQL Server GUI tools

Owned by Kiss, Mate
Mar 03, 2023
2 min read

The following graphical management tools are recommended to be utilized when working in the Verba environment:

  • SQL Server Management Studio
  • SQL Server Configuration Manager
  • SQL Server Profiler

The following topics provide a brief explanation of these tools. For detailed information about the mentioned applications, follow the provided link to the Microsoft documentation site.

For more information on the available tools, see https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/tools/overview-sql-tools.

SQL Server Management Studio and SQL Server Management Studio Express

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is an integrated environment for managing any SQL infrastructure. Use SSMS to access, configure, manage, administer, and develop all components of SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, and SQL Data Warehouse. SSMS provides a single comprehensive utility that combines a broad group of graphical tools with a number of rich script editors to provide access to SQL Server for developers and database administrators of all skill levels.

For further information on how to use SQL Server Management Studio, refer to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/sql-server-management-studio-ssms.

You can download SQL Server Management Studio from Microsoft at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms.

SQL Server Configuration Manager

The SQL Server Configuration Manager utility is a tool to manage the services associated with SQL Server, to configure the network protocols used by SQL Server, and to manage the network connectivity configuration from SQL Server client computers. The SQL Server Configuration Manager combines the functionality of the following SQL Server tools: Server Network Utility, Client Network Utility, and Service Manager.

SQL Server Configuration Manager is a Microsoft Management Console snap-in that is available from the Start menu, or can be added to any other Microsoft Management Console display. To invoke the SQL Server Configuration Manager the Microsoft Management Console (mmc.exe) uses the SQLServerManager.msc file located in the Windows System32 folder.

For further information about the SQL Server Configuration Manager, refer to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/relational-databases/sql-server-configuration-manager.

SQL Server Profiler

SQL Server Profiler is a tool that captures SQL Server 2008 events from a server. The events are saved in a trace file that can later be analyzed or used to replay a specific series of steps when trying to diagnose a problem. SQL Server Profiler is used for activities such as:

  • Finding and diagnosing slow-running queries.
  • Capturing the series of Transact-SQL statements that lead to a problem. The saved trace can then be used to replicate the problem on a test server where the problem can be diagnosed.
  • Monitoring the performance of SQL Server to determine bottlenecks and identify opportunities to tune database and system workloads. For information about tuning the physical database design for database workloads, see Database Engine Tuning Advisor Reference.
  • Correlating performance counters to diagnose problems.

SQL Server Profiler also supports auditing the actions performed on instances of SQL Server. Audits include records on security-related actions for later review by a security administrator.

For further information on SQL Server Profiler, refer to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/tools/sql-server-profiler/sql-server-profiler.