SQL Spy

Checking various information on SQL servers is neither a task for the average Joe nor for an average tool. Administrators of this type of servers need a quick way to retrieve various information from the machine in order to make sure that everything is well oiled and runs smoothly.

Requirements and installation

SQL Spy has been designed as a simple and cost-effective SQL server monitoring tool. It requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 and the possibility to connect to an SQL server.
Getting the utility on the system is a simple task that should not take too much time. According to the documentation the product is designed to work on Windows 2000, Win2003, and XP and Vista, although we have been able to launch it on Windows 8 x64-bit.
On the other hand, during our tests the product showed clear signs of instability as it issued various errors.

Simple looks, features at a glance

The application window is minimalist and does not show any information until a connection with an SQL server is established. A list with the registered servers is available in the left hand side of the application window.
According to the developer, the capabilities of the program include reporting details about the server itself and the database it holds as well as the connection levels. Moreover, SQL Spy can produce data object biographies complete with dependencies, sizes, indexes, rules, triggers and defaults, stored procedures, user functions and views.
Moreover, the documentation of the product states that user connections can be monitored and recorded without a significant impact on the environment.

Conclusion

It has been a long time since the application was last updated and, as such, it may no longer comply to the current standards. SQL Spy is easy to use, though, and the configuration options are not complicated.