Re: Database Mgmt/Manip Tools

On 27 Aug 1997, Thomas Fredericks wrote: > I have recently moved to an Informix environment as the DBA. I had previously > been developing C/S apps using Powerbuilder with Microsoft SQL Server on the > back end. I find that the Informix DB tools are a step back from what I'm used > to. I am considering getting Powerbuilder solely for the use of the DB tools > (Data pipelines, GUI view builder, GUI SQL builder, full table data editing > capability, client-side sort and filter, etc.) all of which I miss. Aha. Informix provides some great physical-DBA tools -- oncheck, onstat, the SMI tables, dbschema et cetera. Things like GUI view builders are more in line with logical development -- try S-Designor or the BMC/Platinum tools. Tools like a full table data editor (sounds like a large spreadsheet view) are just not really required in systems that often scale to hundreds of millions of rows, and is it really easier to write SQL in GUI than in text? And yes, I've done it. As far as client sort and filter, isn't this a facet of your client development enviroment rather than the database engine? Maybe I've misuinderstood (if so, please correct me), but Informix-ONLINE tends to stay out of the way of the clients and just perform its task (very welll, incedentely). Can SQL server override client decisions? If so, how? > My question is, are there any > similar DB management/data manipulation tools out there that are not bundled > with a whole C/S development environment? Thanks Dozens, if not more. Take a look at BMC's suite: Patrol-DB Voyager (interactive schemas) Patrol-DB Alter (modifications) Patrol-DB Change Manager (version control, schema diffs) Just my personal favorites for GUI interfaces. -Richard