DBAConnect by DataSparc, Inc.

This review is based on the freeware version of DBAConnect 1.0, with limited technical support.

DataSparc also provides following services:

• Oracle Development
• Oracle Database Administration
• Java Development
• EJB, Servlets, JSP, JDBC, XML Development
• Wireless software Development

DBAConnect simplifies the most common database management tasks, such as creating/modifying/deleting schema objects, creating and executing efficient DBA scripts and monitoring process information.

Provides easy security administration for granting, revoking and assigning roles and privileges.

Provides users with an efficient means to view key instance statistics instead of querying V$ views manually. Drilling down to related views really helps in saving a lot of time.

Its flexibility allows you to connect and administer all the oracle database versions ranging from 7.3.x to 9i with TCP/IP protocol and NET8 configuration.

A web server , installed Java Runtime Environment JRE 1.1 or later, is required to run the application again it works with all the web servers including Weblogic, Apache, OAS 8i, OAS 9i, IBM's websphere and Iplanet. You can get a freeware Tomcat web server that is simplest to configure for DBAConnect.

Web browser Internet Explorer 5 or higher, Netscape 6 or higher, is required to run the application.

• Object Browser: you can browse through the database objects like, Schema, Tables, Packages, Sequences, Views, Procedures, DB Links, Synonyms, Functions and advanced objects like java resources, Java sources, Java classes, libraries etc.

• DBA Utilities: Allows DBAs to perform administrative tasks in a convenient way and most of the time with just clicks. It allows you to create Tablespaces, Rollback Segments, Users and redo log files. DBAConnect also allows you to manipulate all the information regarding an instance, SGA, Block, Free space and to alter wherever it is needed.

• Developer Utilities: Allows you to perform the developers related actions like creating tables, views, synonyms, DB Links, Procedures, Functions, Packages and Types. It allows you to execute any SQL command through an editor window. Also provides search facility to find any object, dependencies, relationships between tables and privileges.

• DBAConnect Help: It provides an HTML help window which you can open any time. It describes all the functions of DBAConnect in an easy to understand way.

Oracle also has a product called Oracle DBA studio. It can work from within Enterprise Manager. It has modules like schema manager, security manager, storage manager, etc. The products are well integrated with each other and have gone through significant improvements. It also supports database administration from Web Browser.

Object Browsing:

After connecting users can choose a schema from a drop down list, it pulls all the objects of that schema into related drop down lists. Now you can choose any object to see its details. Wherever further details are present, a link is given to proceed. You can perform following tasks in Object Browser window:

• Browse Tables, Views, Synonyms, Packages, Procedures, Functions, Sequences, DBLinks, Java (Sources, Classes, Resources), Types, Type Bodies, Libraries, and Clusters
• Get Data for any selected table or view.
• Create new constraints, new indexes, new triggers
• Get DDL scripts for Tables, Views, Synonyms, Sequences, and Database links
• Modify and compile Packages, Procedures, Functions, Types, and Type Bodies

After connecting only users with DBA privileges will be able to see active DBA Utilities link. Using DBA Utilities screen you can perform following tasks:

Instance Monitoring & Space Management: includes active and running jobs, SGA information (Shared pool, Library cache, UGA space used, Data Dictionary, Redo log buffer cache, Database buffer cache), Free space information, Locks, Redo log files, Object and Data files, Rollback segment, Session information, User information, Table Space and Data files. It displays the space usage in two colors. You can change or alter any information by clicking on the active link for example to drop a user or to kill a session or even to change control files.

Tuning and Diagnosis: includes Block information, open cursors, Process information, sharable memory, SQL trace ON / OFF, unused columns. You can work on performance issues. It facilitates users by giving analysis features, you can analyze a schema for getting statistics or validating structure for tables or columns or indexes.

To Create and Manage: Tablespaces, Rollback segments, Users and redo logs. DBAConnect provides a GUI to perform these actions, you can also invoke SQL editor by clicking

Preview SQL: this option gives you to look at SQL syntax and gives you the options to directly execute or save the script.

Dynamic Tables: enables you to retrieve data using user-friendly GUI rather than writing SQL statement to query from V$ views.

Developer Utilities:

These are the utilities for common application developer related tasks. A developer can

• Execute any SQL statement
• Find any object, column, or text in a stored program
• Create any database object
• View grants, parent/child relationship, and dependencies.
• Use describe to get any table or view

• Local SQL scripting
• Save/Retrieve script locally
• Export query result for later analysis

• The connection and configuration method can be made easier.
• There is no report generation method for different administrative statistics.
• Some windows are too congested to give a friendly look.
• You can't open two oracle instances at a time, however, you can open two different instances of the web browser, and connect to two or more differen oracle instances.