How good are Redgate's SQL tools?

Question

I'd like to hear from anyone who has experience with Redgate's tools for Sql Server 2005. In particular, are their backups 100% reliable? Their claims about backup speed and compression sound almost too good to be true.

For those who have used Redgate's backup, do they handle transaction log backups (and therefore restoring up to a specific point in time), or just full backups?

Answer 1

SQL Compare and SQL prompt are both excellent in my experience!

Answer 2

I have not used their backup, but I have used Compare and Data Compare for many years, and they have been fantastic. Based on the quality of those tools I would not hesitate to trust their other tools.

With any backup tool, though, DO NOT trust the vendor. Verify the backups, and repeatedly, by going through a full disaster recovery cycle, many times. Do a complete rebuild of the server from bare metal, and you will usually find the bottlenecks are not restoring the data itself, but OS install, finding the right drivers for various peripherals, network config, remembering all of the scheduled taks that were setup, mirroring, log shipping, etc.

Try recovering using a full backup, and then a full backup followed by a bunch of transaction log restores.

Answer 3

I've used SQL Compare, SQL Data Compare, SQL Backup, SQL Data Generator and they are all great products. SQL Backup is reasonably fast and a hell of a lot easier to use than MSSql native back up process especially for quick one off backs when you are making major changes to the database.

I recommend Red Gate Tools to everyone I know that work with database and they are never disappointed.

Colin G

Answer 4

My company subscribes to the full Toolbelt, which includes the comparison tools, SQLPrompt, Backup, the new data creation tool and more. The tools are excellent, mostly consistent in terms of the UI and the support and documentation is excellent. I have used their API in our build process and that was fine, although my only criticism is that the documentation for the API was out of date and they still haven't updated it.

All in all though, I'd recommend them thoroughly. If you do as much work with SQL Server as we do, you may find that the time saved by the tools means that they will have paid for themselves in short order. Plus, there's always the 30-day trial (and there's a password for another 30 days if I remember correctly - although you'll have to email them for it).

Answer 5

Very good.

Answer 6

I've also had to deal with them once on a technical issue (our fault not anything bad about their software) and they were most helpful.

Answer 7

The SQL Compare tool is the most essential tool I use as a DBA helping developers move their objects and stopping schema mismatches before they get into production and cause issues. It makes it very clear what it is going to do and has not failed me thus far. It has saved me numerous tedious hours of work.

Data compare is my next favorite when used in conjunction with compare. It can also be used for a quick refresh of data to development or other simple movements. It handles removing constraints and making sure the auto number keys are set and reset correctly. They are all over things you may never think of.

Prompt sometimes gets on my nerves as it can take a while to scan a db and sometimes gets in the way when I've already typed out a command.

All in all, the compare bundle is the bomb for a SQL developer or dba working in a chaotic environment.

If you have everything scripted out and properly version controlled, you probably have other means to do this, but we're not at that level.

No experience with the backup tool, but if it's as good as the compare tools, I might believ the hype.

Answer 8

Redgate's SQL tools are soooo good, Chuck Norris keeps SQL Compare in his back pocket. (And you don't even want to know where he keeps Windows).

Answer 9

My company uses SQL Compare and SQL Toolkit. We've written a couple of apps based on their comparison APIs. I agree with what everyone else has said, they make fantastic products. The technical support we've gotten has been good. What's also nice is several of their staff have blogs where they post SQL Server and other development-related tips. I've found many of them to be useful on my own projects.

I haven't used their backup product but if it's as good as the others, it's probably excellent.

Answer 10

Agreed, SQL compare and data compare are very good. Haven't used the other tools.

Answer 11

They are very good, but not the only one one the market, you can find tools that can work with SQL and MySQL or any other DB and do the same job, for less money.

(like - http://www.nobhillsoft.com/NHDBCompare.aspx)

Answer 12

I agree that Sql Compare / Data Compare are invaluable and those features should already be built into SSMS, however their SQL Prompt and SQL Refactor are haphazard at best. The prompt randomly suggests wrong types/tables or will suggest nothing at all. SQL Refactor's formatting options are mediocre at best, there is no way to set SQL Refactor to make a SQL statement look like:

SELECT *
FROM Table T1
     INNER JOIN Table2 T2 ON T1.FK = T2.FK
           AND T2.SomeKey = 'blah'
           AND T2.OtherKey = 1
     INNER JOIN Code ON Code.SomeKey = T2.SomeKey

The closest I can approximate this is

SELECT
       *
FROM
      Table T1
      INNER JOIN Table2 T2 ON T1.FK = T2.FK
      AND T2.SomeKey = 'blah'
      AND T2.OtherKey = 1
      INNER JOIN Code ON Code.SomeKey = T2.SomeKey

While those differences might seem minor when you start writing queries that have 5-10 tables joined in with a few AND statements it gets rather unsightly to see everything stacked in the same line.

Answer 13

I've been using their SQL Backup for about six months and am a huge fan. Heck, just being able to encrypt and compress is huge.

I'm just now starting to play with SQL Backup's built-in Log Shipping wizard and am impressed (so far) with that as well.

Answer 14

Hi everyone – I work at Red Gate on the SQL Backup team and spotted this thread. Thanks for all your feedback on Red Gate tools! Just thought some of you interested in SQL Backup might find a recent review of SQL Backup useful, showing feedback on the new version of the tool from a DBA in the trenches.

Eric Z Beard also asked whether SQL Backup handles transaction log backups, and I’m happy to confirm it does. If you’re interested in log shipping, we have a walk-through and demo at www.red-gate.com/backup showing how to set it up with SQL Backup’s log shipping wizard.

Dave R also mentioned extending the usual 14-day trial we offer with our tools. This is definitely possible – if you get in touch either by phone or email with your request I’m sure someone will be really happy to help.

Claire (Brand Manager, Red Gate)