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i am using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio. I though it was a database management system, until today I realized that the database management system is actually Microsoft SQL Server. So i would like to know what relation and differences are between Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and Microsoft SQL Server.

I learned that Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio is a database administration tool, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL_Server_Management_Studio. So what are the differences and relations between database administration tool and database management system?

  1. Does a database management system include user interface? (I know that a database administration tool does, based on my experience with Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.)

  2. Can I draw an analogy in programming languages?

    • Does a database management system act like the compiler of a programming language (here SQL language)?

    • Does a database administration tool act like the IDE for developing programs in a programming language?

I still can't figure that out after reading the following links.

From the second link:

A database management system (DBMS) is a computer program (or more typically, a suite of them) designed to manage a database, a large set of structured data, and run operations on the data requested by numerous users. Typical examples of DBMS use include accounting, human resources and customer support systems.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Database_administration_and_automation#Database_administration_tools

Database administration tools

Often, the DBMS software comes with certain tools to help DBAs manage the DBMS. Such tools are called native tools. For example, Microsoft SQL Server comes with SQL Server Management Studio and Oracle has tools such as SQL*Plus and Oracle Enterprise Manager/Grid Control.

In addition, 3rd parties such as BMC, Quest Software, Embarcadero Technologies, EMS Database Management Solutions and SQL Maestro Group offer GUI tools to monitor the DBMS and help DBAs carry out certain functions inside the database more easily.

Thanks.

Community
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Tim
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    Is there really a question here? You seem to be asking what the difference is between a DBMS and database administration tool but then you also answered that question. What are you looking for here? – Sean Lange Mar 23 '17 at 15:27
  • I am looking for answers to my questions. My questions are those sentences ended with a question mark. – Tim Mar 23 '17 at 15:29
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    No kidding? You also seem to have provided an answer for all of them. – Sean Lange Mar 23 '17 at 15:29
  • Did I? i don't think so. No kidding. – Tim Mar 23 '17 at 15:30
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    If I were going to write an answer it would be response that is almost identical to the very last part of your post. The last yellow box that starts with "Database administration tools". Well except that my response would not be written as well. That explains it perfectly clear and accurately. – Sean Lange Mar 23 '17 at 15:33
  • As an IDE - to some extent, e.g. Intellisense (a cache which db objects exist), provide line numbers, validating syntax (without checking if the objects exist). When you run the query, the workload is passed off to the DBMS to do all the heavy lifting as such. – Bridge Mar 23 '17 at 15:34

1 Answers1

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So what are the differences and relations between database administration tool and database management system?

The differences are that a DBMS is essentially the engine that the database is running on. This essentially boils down to how the data is stored, managed, and queried.

While most DBMS engines share the core ANSI-standard SQL querying capabilities, each DBMS product (e.g. SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, etc.) has different, DBMS-specific syntax that can also be used in the queries.

Does a database management system include user interface?

Not any one that I'm aware of. A DBMS is just the engine that drives the database and processes queries.

To contrast, a Database Administration Tool is a tool that can be used to access the database, manage database components, and execute queries. In most cases, this is a GUI (an example is SQL Server Management Studio). A Database Administration Tool does not run the database, but rather, gives you a way to visually see, query, and manipulate the data being hosted by the DBMS.

Database Administration Tools can be 3rd party software, and they usually come with the DBMS as well (as you pointed out in your question).

Does a database management system act like the compiler of a programming language (here SQL language)?

It does, yes. Among its other tasks, a DBMS engine accepts, compiles, and executes incoming queries.

Does a database administration tool act like the IDE for developing programs in a programming language?

Yes - it provides a visual representation of the database and also provides intellisense to aid query construction.

Siyual
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  • Thanks. Is a DBMS exactly a compiler of SQL language, and a database admin tool exactly a IDE for programming in SQL language? – Tim Mar 23 '17 at 15:40
  • @Tim Essentially, yes. I've never thought about it that way before your question, but that does seem accurate. – Siyual Mar 23 '17 at 15:42
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    The DBMS is more than just a compiler. It is also the run time element. As a comparison to a programming language it would be safe to say the admin tool is like visual studio where the DBMS is both the compiler and the dotnet runtime engine. – Sean Lange Mar 23 '17 at 15:45