One of the most important tools to manage your database is Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. This application will allow you to manage all of your databases on a server as well as write queries against a selected database. Once you open the Management Studio application, you will see a dialog on selecting a server. You will use this dialog to select the server of the database that you would like to manage.
Once you selected the appropriate server, you will notice that the dialog ask you to select authentication. There are two options, “Windows Authentication” and “SQL Server Authentication”.
Windows Authentication takes the credential of the user that is logged on the computer and uses it to log onto the SQL Server.
SQL Server Authentication uses a username and password to log onto the server. This username and password does not have to be a user on the computer but has to be a user on the SQL Server that you are trying to connect to.
Once you are in Management Studio, you will have the ability to browse the SQL server using the Object Explorer. There are several folders that you can browse in Object Explorer.
- Databases – Allows you to browse all databases that you have access to. This will let you review every aspect of managing your database
- Security – Allows you to manage and create credentials to the SQL Server
- Server Objects – Lets you manage Backup Devices, Endpoints, Linked Server, and Triggers
- Replication – Lets you manage Local Publications and subscriptions
- Management – Allows you to management Maintenance Plans, view Server Logs, Database Mail configuration, and Full Text Search
- Notification – Allows you to manage Notification Services
- SQL Server Agent – Allows you to manage jobs, alerts and proxies