Chapter 15. Using SQL Server Management Studio to the fullest
As a DBA or SQL Developer, how often do you use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) in your path? That’s what I thought: every day, except for the days you’re on vacation (and even then you’re probably thinking about using it). SSMS is generally our tool of choice for all manner of DBA-related activities and tasks, from backups to writing T-SQL queries. We all become accustomed to using an application the same way, over and over again through the years. In this chapter, I’ll introduce you to some features that are available in SSMS 2008 and 2008 R2 that I’ve found raises an “Ahhh, cool” from people who were unaware of the existence of these features.
There are specifically three features in SSMS 2008 and 2008 R2 that I’d like to demonstrate; although not “undocumented,” they are also not obvious. These three features are:
- Querying many servers at once
- Using script templates
- Scripting multiple objects and data
In this chapter, the goal is to show you something that you may not have seen before. But even if you have, my hope is to introduce a level of functionality that you may not have thought of that will ultimately make your life as a DBA or developer a little easier. If it doesn’t make your life easier, at least you’ll have something cool to show off to your DBA friends.
