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Features and Tools Overview (SQL Server 2008)

SQL Server contains a variety of features and tools that you can use to develop and manage your databases and solutions.

In This Section

  • Using SQL Server Management Studio
    SQL Server Management Studio is an integrated environment for accessing, configuring, managing, and administering all components of SQL Server. Management Studio combines a broad group of graphical tools with five rich script editors to provide access to SQL Server to developers and administrators of all skill levels. Management Studio is designed for developing and administering database objects, and for administering and configuring existing Analysis Services objects. If you are implementing a solution that uses SQL Server database services, or if you are administering an existing solution that uses SQL Server, Analysis Services, Integration Services, or Reporting Services, you should use Management Studio.

  • Introducing Business Intelligence Development Studio
    Business Intelligence Development Studio is an integrated environment for developing business intelligence constructs, such as cubes, data sources, reports, and Integration Services packages. BI Development Studio includes project templates that provide a context for developing specific constructs. For example, you can choose an Analysis Services project if your objective is to create an Analysis Services database that contains cubes, dimensions, or mining models.

    In BI Development Studio, you can develop projects as part of a solution that is independent of any particular server. For example, you can include an Analysis Services project, a Integration Services project, and a Reporting Services project in the same solution. You can deploy the objects to a test server for testing during development, and later you can deploy the output from the projects to one or more staging or production servers.

    If you are developing a solution that uses Analysis Services, Integration Services, or Reporting Services, you should use BI Development Studio.

  • Reporting Services Components and Tools
    SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services provides process components, tools, and programming interfaces for developing, managing, and using rich reports.

  • Tools and Utilities Overview (Integration Services)
    SQL Server 2008 Integration Services (SSIS) provides complete SSIS package creation and management tools such as SSIS Designer, Query Builder, Expression Builder, and several command prompt utilities.

  • SQL Server Configuration Manager
    SQL Server Configuration Manager 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.

  • SQL Server Profiler Reference
    SQL Server Profiler is a tool that captures SQL Server events from an instance of the Database Engine. 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.

  • Database Engine Tuning Advisor Overview
    SQL Server Database Engine Tuning Advisor helps you select and create an optimal set of indexes, indexed views, and partitions without requiring an expert understanding of the structure of the database or the internals of SQL Server.

  • Command Prompt Utilities
    The SQL Server Database Engine provides additional tools that can be run from the command prompt.