Command-Line Utilities in SQL Server 2005

1) The sqlcmd utility allows you to enter Transact-SQL statements, system procedures, and script files at the command prompt. This utility uses OLE DB to execute Transact-SQL batches.
2) The sqlwb utility opens SQL Server Management Studio. If specified, sqlwb also establishes a connection to a server, and opens queries, scripts, files, projects, and solutions.
3) The profiler90 utility launches the SQL Server Profiler tool. The optional arguments listed later in this topic allow you to control how the application starts.
4) You can access Database Engine Tuning Advisor at the command prompt by using the dta.exe file, or through the application's graphical user interface (GUI). The command-line utility lets you incorporate Database Engine Tuning Advisor functionality into scripts and software programs. The dta utility also takes XML input. The Database Engine Tuning Advisor GUI makes it easy to view existing tuning sessions tuning recommendations.
5) You can use the Execute Package Utility dialog box to specify package run-time configurations and run packages on the local computer. You also can use this utility to generate command lines for use with the dtexec command prompt utility.
6) The dtutil command prompt utility is used to manage SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS) packages. The utility can copy, move, delete, or verify the existence of a package. These actions can be performed on any SSIS package that is stored in one of three locations: a Microsoft SQL Server database, the SSIS Package Store, and the file system. The package and its storage type are identified by the /SQL, /FILE, and /DTS options.
7) The tablediff utility is used to compare the data in two tables for non-convergence, and is particularly useful for troubleshooting non-convergence in a replication topology.

Siddharth Mehta
[MSc(I.T), MCP, MCAD, MCSD]