-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DbaMgr - An alternative, little Console for MSDE 1.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreword. i come from the Jet engine world, from the one part of VB3, but i never had a copy of Access, what i needed to do was done by vb code and Visual Data Manager. Now Microsoft has just released MSDE, and i'm trying this wonerfull tool. Msde, like his brother got a major restyling, in configuration and admin tasks to meet, or reach, TCO=0 needs (Total Cost of Ownership =0). The bad thing is that MS does not include any visual tool to manage Msde installation, only the powerfull characterbased oSql.exe, a tool not to play with and not for everyone, at least not for my usual customers... this brings me to a nice situation.... if my customer do have a Dba among his employees, no problem, perhaps he owns the major Sql engine, but what if no one is a Dba or a Sa?? can i afford and trust him to type obscure T-Sql commands to perform simply tasks like Backup/restore or similar? This idea comes to me by reading Peter Swaniker article (vbpj july 1999 "Managing SQL Server 7.0"), that unfortunately was implemented on the NOT redistributable Com Namespace object, so only part of frmMain is him due, while i'm responsible of the rest... =;-( it does not claim to be bug-free, nor to be the 'panacea', but could be of interest for someone.. Written in vb6 sp5, fully based on SQL-DMO, the com object that implements the programming and maintenance of the engine and dependent/created objects. Needs win common controls, RichEdit, MSFlexGrid, Ms DataGrid and Mdac. It will not be an alternative to Enterprise Manager, it's simple and primitive, but can be usefull for simple installation of MSDE for the common housekeeping tasks..., i guess not so simple installation would require a DBA and use of Enterprise Manager anyway. Security issue: grant permission are implemented at DB, Table, View and SP level, for Tables and Views objects permission are implemented at column level; Diagram creation/view is not covered. Table housekeeping permits the possibility of inserting a new column between previously created. Default management is similar to the one of Enterprise Manager, as it permit erratic insert of non compliant value (alfa val for numerique fields...). I found a bug in dmo object that, while fetching info of the underlying field, sometime reports erratic info about Precision, Scale (especially for xCHAR type) and Identity.. Foreign key creation/management is implemented in the index form and not within Diagram manipulation; i still have to understand why i can't activate or deactivate the "Relation for Replica", 'cause Dmo returns me an error of "Type of Key, Clustered, Fillfactor or Referenced Table modification..." and have to find a way to handle with the option "Check existent Data during creation", allowed by Enterprise Manager.... These 2 propertyes are read/write with EM (thank's MS). The little query interface, even if very poor, let you split commands with GO statements and retrieve multiples QueryResults (Resultsets). Restore operations are limited, 'cause i wanted to eliminate the difficult ones, as a good Backup/restore plan isn't simply to plan too. I only want my customer to have a simple backup done.. (please save your work often, you know it??) I do not own tapes, so Backup/restore are obly allowed via standard OS Files and Devices, more, only a single device is allowed.. Data fetching coul'd be very easy implemented faster with method like ADO, etc, but i only wanted to use SQL-DMO. BCP; a visual interface to support Bulk Copy operations from/to Tables/Views, with choices for import/export data to native, character,comma-delim. and custom format, with manipulation of the referenced format file and support for Sql 6.x format (not tested, don't have Sql6.x); supports for destination table definition and/or pre-written formatfile field definition; for sure the batch possibility of BCP.exe can accomplish more difficult tasks, but simple ops. can be managed visually very well. It's not very well documented, you know, i'll do it later... but it helps me understand this new toy of mine, whose name is MSDE. I miss a deep debug test, Mantainance Plan management, View modification (possibly visual), DTS, etc. English speeking people can immediately translate the tool from italian (default) language to English (my poor english ) simply switching to the General Setting ("Settaggi Generali") Tab of the login form and setting the Default Language ("Linguaggio Predefinito") comboBox to English; DbaMgr can be localized with some work on Languages files ".Lng" that must reside in the application folder; DbaMgr autogenerate, if not present, Italian and English language files, and, copying and renaming one of it to ie.: Deutsch.Lng for German language, translating each row's content to the new language, the new localization will than appears in the settings combo box of the conection form. I'm not an Interface Fan, i'm relative spartan.. Enclosed you'll find the distribution .pdm file for vb-PDW, as long a .ISS InnoSetup 2.0.18/19 version, please look at BOL for dependencies for SQL-DMO anyway. Funny, BOL state you have to register sqldmo.rll, the resource file that can't be registered 'cause "it's not a dll or a com obj", while you have to register sqldmo.DLL; the enclosed setup.lst did the job for me on a Win98 sp1 box with a fresh installed MDAC 2.5 (2.50.4403.12) and of course after having set the corrected comunication potocols with my serrver with Cliconfg.exe; of course i've modified setup.lst in order to selfregister sqldmo.dll. The .lst file does not include mdac_typ.exe installation, while .iss file does. Someone told me they had interface reference troubles with some dmo propertyes, i personally tested it against msde sp1 sqldmo.dll ver file 1999.04.12 ver 7.00.694 msde sp2, sqldmo.dll ver file 2000.02.08 ver 7.00.839 Msde sp3, sqldmo.dll ver file 2000.10.24 ver 7.00.961 and Msde sp4, sqldmo.dll ver file 2000.28.09 ver 7.00.1063 NB.. at http://www.imranweb.com/freesoft/ you can download a free version of WinSQL and Enhaced ISQL/w utilityes, written for Sql6.5, but quite stable with Sql7/Msde, implementing powerfull (and free) tools. It's suggested too to download a free utility "SqlUtil" (SqlUtil2k.exe) from www.innovmgtsys.com. =========================================================================== If you want to be notified of new releases of DbaMgr, send me an e-mail and you can subscribe to this service. The service is free of charge and coul'd be interrupted by me at any time with no previuos information. =========================================================================== ----- DISCLAIMER --------------------------------------------------------------- All the material produced by the Author included in this compressed archive is copyright by Insulin Power 1993-2007 by Andrea Montanari, with the exception of all dependencies and libraries that are distributed with limited licenses by each owner and/or holder; you can use it without restriction, while re-distribution must be under these terms: in general words, you are entitled to bundle this software with software/application of yours as long as: 1) you do not charge additional fees for DbaMgr to your customers/users; 2) you maintain Author's credits; 3) if you derive a similar general managent application without substantially modification of original source code of DbaMgr, you still must meet requirements 1) and 2) 4) portions of the original source code can be "cut and pasted" with no restriction into other specific applications of yours, no credits are required as long as point 3) if fullfilled. I will be very happy to know about these distributions, along with your name, company name, application(s) witch DbaMgr will be bundled with.. this info are for my records only and will never be published or used. This software is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; the author (me) has no responsibility for any damage or loss this software could produce. USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoul'd you find bugs (and you will), suggestions improvements and so on, please feel free contact me; feed back, comments advices are welcome, not so insults... ;-) enjoy.. and excuse my poor english.. Andrea Montanari andrea.sql@virgilio.it http://www.asql.biz/DbaMgr.shtm