Are you looking for data management tools that make it easy to administrate your database or deal with servers, virtual and otherwise? If your budget for data software is small but your needs are still complex and growing, these free tools may be your best bet. Arrange your data, visualize incoming information in ways that are easy to understand, and create your own data solutions…without adding a new expense to your accounts. Popular free tools include:
7 Free Data Management Tools for Your Data Needs
1. Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio is a freeware download that is perfect if you are using Microsoft’s SQL Server products. It does not have much applicability outside the Microsoft world, but for those invested in the right types of servers it is an all-purpose tool that lets you create databases, adjust them, and troubleshoot any unforeseen problems along the way. The interface is very familiar for Windows users, too. If you are interested, visit the Microsoft website and look for the latest download – they are typically marked by year.
2. phpMyAdmin
This tool is a complex database management system that offers a broad number of options but manages to contain them all in a simplistic interface. You can create and manage both databases and users, optimize your system in whatever way works best for your company, run queries, and import or export data sets as needed. The tool allows you to switch data between a number of different formats to play nice with other software, too. The only downside to this open source option is that it may need a fair bit of training to fully utilize.
3. DataWrangler
DataWrangler is a Stanford project that allows users to clean up their data and make it extra-flexible when it comes to exporting that data into other systems. Essentially, you can enter current data sets and arrange or pull data as needed for spreadsheets, data entry, and various applications. DataWrangler is filled with suggestions designed to second-guess your goals – suggestions that can save you a lot of time when the tool understands what you want to do.
4. Google Fusion Tables
Google’s Fusion Tables project is one of the more popular data visualization tools available for free online. Using this function with Google’s traditional minimalistic interface, you can filter spreadsheet data and swift summarize it. Once you have the data that you want, you can apply it to a chart, network graph, or custom layout – like a very advanced Excel program designed to work with large amounts of data. Google also allows you to pull public into your visualization, making this a useful projecting and analysis tool.
5. OpenRefine
OpenRefine is a simpler tool for businesses that need some basic data management but nothing too fancy. It allows small businesses to easily format and categorize data, then link it to other sites and sources like Freebase. Users have plenty of easy-to-understand options for refining data, searching for specific sets, and putting the data to use in various applications.
6. Talend Open Studio
Talend is an analytics platform that offers a specific Open Studio download through Apache licensing to manage big data. If you work with large amounts of customer data and need an inexpensive way to sift it, then look into this solution. It is an excellent tool for IT specialists who want to save time by skipping the code and working with a swift, graphics-based interface for modeling, store, migrating and studying big data.
7. Drill
Drill is based on Google’s Dremel project, but it is a freer Apache tool that is being designed to mimic many of the big data analysis features of Dremel without so much involvement. This is another excellent and growing tool for dealing with vast quantities of data in a customizable fashion.
Idera provides comprehensive application and server management software, including SQL database performance tuning. Jacob Thompson writes independently on the latest software solutions.
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