Which tools or methods would you suggest for creating large amounts of SQL test data?

Question

I'd like to stress test some of my SQL queries and find out about bad query plans and bottlenecks. I plan to fill some tables with random test data.

Are there tools or a set of scripts available for this purpose, preferably for SQL Server?

Thanks!

UPDATE: Sorry, didn't know these two question already existed:

• Data generators for SQL server?
• Creating test data in a database

Answer 1

I've use this data generator with success in the past - may not be big enough for your needs though.

Answer 2

This website will generate reams of customized data for you.

From that site:

Ever needed custom formatted sample / test data, like, bad? Well, that's the idea of the Data Generator. It's a free, open source script written in JavaScript, PHP and MySQL that lets you quickly generate large volumes of custom data in a variety of formats for use in testing software, populating databases, and scoring with girls.

This site offers an online demo where you're welcome to tinker around to get a sense of what the script does, what features it offers and how it works. Then, once you've whet your appetite, there's a free, fully functional, GNU-licensed version available for download.

Answer 3

Duplicate of http://stackoverflow.com/questions/157600/data-generators-for-sql-server

Answer 4

Triplicate

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16317/creating-test-data-in-a-database