---
title: "Redmond Roundup: Tooling Around in Your Database"
date: "2008-07-28"
tags: 
  - "altova-product-review"
  - "databasespy"
description: Explore key database management tasks and tools in a recent review by Peter Varhol, highlighting Altova's DatabaseSpy as a top choice for efficiency.
---
Status: #blog

Tags:  #altova-product-review #databasespy

Categories: [Altova](/blog/category/altova.md) 
# Redmond Roundup: Tooling Around in Your Database

RedmondMag.com just published a great [article](http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2530) by Peter Varhol, a principal at Technology Strategy Research LLC, an industry analysis and consulting firm. This "Redmond Roundup" discusses common database management tasks and reviews some of the tools that are popular in that space:

> _Sometimes you don't need a full-fledged database-management environment. Maybe you just need to go in and add a field, change a table or write an ad hoc query._ _Certainly you can do all those things in the SQL Server administration tools, writing your own SQL at the command line. Unless you're a SQL expert, though, that process can be lengthy and error-prone._ _Having a graphical tool that's easy to learn and use -- and one that you don't have to use every day to remember how to perform simple actions -- is much more productive. Simply point it at the database, click the mouse to tell the tool what to do and your database maintenance is done..._

Varhol [examines three leading database tools](http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2530) and concludes by awarding Altova's very own [DatabaseSpy](https://www.altova.com/products/databasespy/database_tool.html) Redmond Roundup Champion, noting, “DatabaseSpy is the best overall in terms of range of features.” [![Redmond Roundup](https://www.altova.com/blog/images/ToolingAroundinYourDatabase_CB39/RedmondRoundup_thumb.gif)](http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2530) Image source: [http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2530](http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2530 "http://redmondmag.com/features/article.asp?editorialsid=2530")