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You have to start with the basics. Microsoft provides you with most of what you need. SQL Server Management Studio, while clunky & weird in places, is the tool for maintaining your servers and databases. It's also where you're going to run most of your T-SQL queries from. You need to learn SQL Agent, how to create and schedule jobs. Depending your employment siituation you'll need to learn either Integration Services or Reporting Services or both. I'd also recommend taking the time to pick up on Policy Based Management. Microsoft has also provided you with a great "tool" in the PowerShell language. Start working on learning it even though you're just getting started. For monitoring you can't go too far wrong using the Data Collector. These are all fantastic tools that come, free, out of the box. I'd learn them first. But what you're asking for is third party products. One that I would not want to live without is Red-Gate's SQL Prompt. It's a functional intellisense for all versions of SQL Server. Red-Gate also has a fantastic tool for comparing schema's SQL Compare. They just came out with a new tool that I'm still evaluating but I can safely recommend, SQL Source Control. SQL Source Control plugs into TFS or AVS and lets you treat your database like code. It's fantastic. Those are the ones I'd start with. DISCLAIMER: I'm a "Friend of Red Gate" which is a program where I get copies of their software and take part in their beta programs. I got there because I love their products, but I feel I should mention it when I'm singing their praises.

THanks a lot will surely try and get my hands on those tools. is there any tool for synchornizing databases and also for DTS

I agree with Grant that you should master the basics and for the most part you can do your job only using the native tools provided by Microsoft: SSMS, Profiler, Perfmon, Performance Dashboard, etc. And take a look at this mainenance script by Ola Hallengren: [SQL Server 2005 and 2008 - Backup, Integrity Check and Index Optimization][3]. Its the best script out there tested by many DBA's and I would definitely recommend you add it in your toolbox. Also you can check out this article from SQL Server Central; [Free Tools for the SQL Server DBA][1] and [Free Tools for the SQL Server DBA Part 2][2]. You can also refer this questions discussed here in this site before: [Tools Must have for a DBA][4] [3rd Party SQL Server management tools][5] [What tools do you use to increase efficiency and productivity for SQL Development][6] Good Luck! [1]: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Miscellaneous/2959/ [2]: http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Tools/64908/ [3]: http://ola.hallengren.com/ [4]: http://ask.sqlservercentral.com/questions/5975/red-gate-tools-must-have-for-a-dba [5]: http://ask.sqlservercentral.com/questions/7480/3rd-party-sql-server-management-tools [6]: http://ask.sqlservercentral.com/questions/4738/what-tools-do-you-use-to-increase-efficiency-and-productivity-for-sql-development

Here's a list for you... For synchronising schema changes - you can use: - [Schema Inspector][1] (my tool) - [SQL Compare][2] (Red Gate's tool) - [Apex SQL Diff][3] (Apex's tool) - [Visual Studio][4] (Microsoft's tool, Premium or ultimate only) For synchronising data changes - you can use: - [Data Inspector][5] (my tool) - [SQL Data Compare][6] (Red Gate's tool) - [Apex SQL Data Diff][7] (Apex's tool) - [Visual Studio][8] (Microsoft's tool, Premium or ultimate only) For code completion you can use: - [SQL Everywhere][9] (my IDE) - [SQL Prompt][10] (Red Gate's SSMS plugin) - [Apex SQL Edit][11] (Apex's IDE) For refactoring you can use: - [SQL Everywhere][12] (my IDE - but only basic refactoring in this) - [SQL Refactor][13] (Red Gate's SSMS plugin - some of which is in SQL Prompt) - [Apex SQL Refactor][14] (Apex's SSMS plugin - probably best in class) For running scripts on multiple targets you can use: - [SQL Everywhere][15] (my IDE) - [SQL Multi Script][16] (Red Gate's tool) All of the vendors mentioned have other tools too which are worth checking out. Obviously I'd like it if you checked out my tools, but to be fair to Red Gate and Apex - they have both done a fantastic job, and I just hope that my tools come close :) [1]: http://www.atlantis-interactive.co.uk/products/schemainspector/default.aspx [2]: http://www.red-gate.com/products/SQL_Compare/index.htm [3]: http://www.apexsql.com/sql_tools_diff.aspx [4]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/default.aspx [5]: http://www.atlantis-interactive.co.uk/products/datainspector/default.aspx [6]: http://www.red-gate.com/products/SQL_Data_Compare/index.htm [7]: http://www.apexsql.com/sql_tools_datadiff.aspx [8]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/default.aspx [9]: http://www.atlantis-interactive.co.uk/products/sqleverywhere/default.aspx [10]: http://www.red-gate.com/products/SQL_Prompt/index.htm [11]: http://www.apexsql.com/sql_tools_edit.aspx [12]: http://www.atlantis-interactive.co.uk/products/sqleverywhere/default.aspx [13]: http://www.red-gate.com/products/SQL_Refactor/index.htm [14]: http://www.apexsql.com/sql_tools_refactor.aspx [15]: http://www.atlantis-interactive.co.uk/products/sqleverywhere/default.aspx [16]: https://www.red-gate.com/products/dba/sql-multi-script/

To get a quick search and smooth navigation between objects (tables/stored procedure) - use [**SQL Hunting Dog**][1] It is a free Addin for SQL Server Management Studio 2008 / 2012. I have built it. [1]: http://www.sql-hunting-dog.com

I would like to recommend two scripts, sp_blitz and sp_index_blits from [Brent Ozar][1] [1]: http://www.brentozar.com/blitz/