-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DbaMgr2k - An alternative, little Console for MSDE 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. MSDE 2000, 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 2000 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 project is brother of the preceding DbaMgr project, born in 1999, to manage only Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 and MSDE1.0 solution, project available in the my original web site too. 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.. Like it's brohter, DbaMgr, this project was entirely written in VB6 sp5, fully based on SQL Server 2000 SQL-DMO, the com object that implements the programming and maintenance of the engine and dependent/created objects. It was still written in VB6 instead of .Net languages, becouse of lack of a native .Net Sql_DMO component or similar to it, developing time woul'd have exceded to much and .Net framework's Interop call to Sql-DMO woul'd have been a very big overhead. Needs win common controls, RichEdit, MSFlexGrid, Ms DataGrid. MDAC stack is required too; SQL Server 2000 requires at least version 2.6, and the service pack 3 requires version 2.7.1; the project references version 2.6 but version 2.8 is installed on the develop/deplomyment computer, so some ADO probkems have been reported by some users; it is there for suggested to install version 2.7.1 at least. The project has been vouluntary split from DbaMgr, becouse DbaMgr2k implements some version "2" of Sql-DMO interfaces available only on Sql Server 2000, and it woul'd be not possible to be re-compiled from people with only SQL Server 7.0 available. It will not be an alternative to Enterprise Manager, it's simple and primitive, but can be usefull for simple installation of MSDE 2.0 for the common housekeeping tasks..., i guess not so simple installation would requirea DBA and use of Enterprise Manager anyway. Two other little utilities are integrated in the project: the little query interface, even if very poor, let you split commands with GO statements and retrieve multiples QueryResults (Resultsets). 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. In addition (and differently from SQL Server 2000), DbaMgr2k can manage more extended properties for objects (database object included) that support this features; extended properties values will always be saved as text. It's not very well documented, you know, i'll do it later... 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; DbaMgr2k can be localized with some work on Languages files ".Ln2" that must reside in the application folder; DbaMgr2k autogenerate, if not present, Italian and English language files, and, copying and renaming one of it to ie.: Deutsch.Ln2 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.. Someone told me they had interface reference troubles with some dmo propertyes, i personally tested it against MSDE 2000 sp4, 3a and 2, as long as the retail version of MSDE2000 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 1.0 and SQL2000/MSDE2000, 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 DbaMgr2k, 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 1993-2008 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 DbaMgr2k 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 DbaMgr2k, 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) is fullfilled. I will be very happy to know about these distributions, along with your name, company name, application(s) witch DbaMgr2k 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