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  5. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio vs dbt

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio vs dbt

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
Stacks503
Followers445
Votes0
dbt
dbt
Stacks517
Followers461
Votes16

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio vs dbt: What are the differences?

Introduction This Markdown code provides a comparison between Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and dbt, outlining the key differences between the two tools.

  1. Connectivity and Platform Compatibility: Microsoft SSMS is primarily designed for managing Microsoft SQL Server databases, offering seamless connectivity and optimal support for Microsoft's platforms. On the other hand, dbt is a tool that works with various types of databases, including Redshift, Snowflake, and BigQuery, providing versatility and platform compatibility.

  2. Data Transformation and Modeling: SSMS offers robust data transformation capabilities through T-SQL scripting and SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). It provides a comprehensive platform for modeling and managing data. In comparison, dbt focuses primarily on data transformation, modeling, and orchestrating complex SQL workflows. It is specifically designed for data analytics and enables version control, testing, and documentation of data models.

  3. Version Control and Collaboration: SSMS lacks built-in version control capabilities, making it challenging for teams to collaborate effectively. On the other hand, dbt natively integrates with version control systems like Git, enabling seamless collaboration, code reviews, and maintaining a centralized repository for managing data transformations.

  4. Code Reusability and Modularization: SSMS relies heavily on stored procedures, which can be reused across different projects. However, the reusability is limited to SQL code only. In contrast, dbt promotes code reusability and modularization by allowing the creation of SQL "macros." These macros can be shared across projects, promoting consistency and efficiency in data transformations.

  5. Testing and Documentation: SSMS lacks native testing frameworks and tools for data validation and quality assurance. In contrast, dbt provides built-in testing capabilities, allowing developers to define and execute tests on data transformations, ensuring the correctness of the output. Additionally, dbt generates documentation automatically, making it easier to understand and maintain data models.

  6. Data Pipeline Orchestration: SSMS does not provide built-in features for orchestrating data pipelines, making it challenging to manage complex data workflows. Conversely, dbt offers powerful orchestration capabilities, allowing users to define and schedule complex data transformations and dependencies, ensuring data pipelines run efficiently and reliably.

In summary, Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio is a comprehensive database management tool primarily designed for Microsoft SQL Server, while dbt is a data transformation and modeling tool that offers platform compatibility, collaborative features, code reusability, testing capabilities, and data pipeline orchestration.

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Advice on Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, dbt

Aashwiin
Aashwiin

Feb 6, 2020

Needs advice

I am looking to build an azure database that connects to my power bi application. Initially, I attempted to create an Azure SQL database, then realized I needed to have SQL Server Management Service in order to manage and connect between Azure SQL <=> Power BI, but since I am on a Mac, I had to use the complex installation as a workaround.

If MySQL Workbench can solve this (as the product is available on Mac), I am more than happy to proceed with this approach if it can achieve the same goal of connecting an azure database with my Power BI application

What I am trying to achieve is fairly simple: have an online cloud database that connects to my Power BI application

I am open to any other solutions as well

Thank you

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Comments

Detailed Comparison

Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
dbt
dbt

It is an integrated environment for managing any SQL infrastructure, from SQL Server to Azure SQL Database. It provides tools to configure, monitor, and administer instances of SQL Server and databases. Use it to deploy, monitor, and upgrade the data-tier components used by your applications, as well as build queries and scripts.

dbt is a transformation workflow that lets teams deploy analytics code following software engineering best practices like modularity, portability, CI/CD, and documentation. Now anyone who knows SQL can build production-grade data pipelines.

Integrated environment for managing any SQL infrastructure; Configure, monitor, and administer instances of SQL Server and databases; Deploy, monitor, and upgrade the data-tier components used by your applications, and build queries and scripts
Code compiler; Package management; Seed file loader; Data snapshots; Understand raw data sources; Tests; Documentation; CI/CD
Statistics
Stacks
503
Stacks
517
Followers
445
Followers
461
Votes
0
Votes
16
Pros & Cons
No community feedback yet
Pros
  • 5
    Easy for SQL programmers to learn
  • 3
    Reusable Macro
  • 2
    CI/CD
  • 2
    Modularity, portability, CI/CD, and documentation
  • 2
    Faster Integrated Testing
Cons
  • 1
    Only limited to SQL
  • 1
    Very bad for people from learning perspective
  • 1
    People will have have only sql skill set at the end
  • 1
    Cant do complex iterations , list comprehensions etc .
Integrations
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server
Exasol
Exasol
Snowflake
Snowflake
Materialize
Materialize
Presto
Presto
Amazon Redshift
Amazon Redshift
Google BigQuery
Google BigQuery
PostgreSQL
PostgreSQL
Apache Spark
Apache Spark
Dremio
Dremio
Databricks
Databricks

What are some alternatives to Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio, dbt?

dbForge Studio for MySQL

dbForge Studio for MySQL

It is the universal MySQL and MariaDB client for database management, administration and development. With the help of this intelligent MySQL client the work with data and code has become easier and more convenient. This tool provides utilities to compare, synchronize, and backup MySQL databases with scheduling, and gives possibility to analyze and report MySQL tables data.

dbForge Studio for Oracle

dbForge Studio for Oracle

It is a powerful integrated development environment (IDE) which helps Oracle SQL developers to increase PL/SQL coding speed, provides versatile data editing tools for managing in-database and external data.

dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL

dbForge Studio for PostgreSQL

It is a GUI tool for database development and management. The IDE for PostgreSQL allows users to create, develop, and execute queries, edit and adjust the code to their requirements in a convenient and user-friendly interface.

dbForge Studio for SQL Server

dbForge Studio for SQL Server

It is a powerful IDE for SQL Server management, administration, development, data reporting and analysis. The tool will help SQL developers to manage databases, version-control database changes in popular source control systems, speed up routine tasks, as well, as to make complex database changes.

Liquibase

Liquibase

Liquibase is th leading open-source tool for database schema change management. Liquibase helps teams track, version, and deploy database schema and logic changes so they can automate their database code process with their app code process.

Sequel Pro

Sequel Pro

Sequel Pro is a fast, easy-to-use Mac database management application for working with MySQL databases.

DBeaver

DBeaver

It is a free multi-platform database tool for developers, SQL programmers, database administrators and analysts. Supports all popular databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Sybase, Teradata, MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis, etc.

dbForge SQL Complete

dbForge SQL Complete

It is an IntelliSense add-in for SQL Server Management Studio, designed to provide the fastest T-SQL query typing ever possible.

Knex.js

Knex.js

Knex.js is a "batteries included" SQL query builder for Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB, SQLite3, and Oracle designed to be flexible, portable, and fun to use. It features both traditional node style callbacks as well as a promise interface for cleaner async flow control, a stream interface, full featured query and schema builders, transaction support (with savepoints), connection pooling and standardized responses between different query clients and dialects.

Flyway

Flyway

It lets you regain control of your database migrations with pleasure and plain sql. Solves only one problem and solves it well. It migrates your database, so you don't have to worry about it anymore.

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