SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) is a free, easy-to-use tool to manage SQL Server 2005/2008/2008/2008 R2/2012 Express Edition and Express Edition with Advanced Services databases using the graphical user interface. The tool allows you to create and manage databases inside an instance of SQL Server, create and edit tables, views, stored procedures, as well as users and a number of other objects on Microsoft's database server. SQL Server Management Studio Express also offers an activity monitor where we can check the current connections to the server and the use of system resources by the SQL Server.

The tool can also be used to manage SQL Server Database Engine instances created by any edition of 2000 or later. However, SSME is mainly designed to manage free editions of Express and does not provide support for SQL Server Analysis Services, Integration Services, Notification Services, Reporting Services, SQL Server Agent or SQL Server 2005 Mobile Edition product. However, this is a mandatory supplement to Microsoft's free database servers.

SQL Server 2012 introduces some interesting facts. First of all, in the Enterprise version we can use AlwaysOn function - a new type of clustering, which does not require a common data warehouse. Databases are stored on each server separately and synchronized on an ongoing basis.

The whole mechanism is also much more flexible in configuration than the current high availability and replication systems. Another novelty is the ColumnStore indexes, which group and store data by column, and then combine them into one index - unlike traditional indexes, which group data by row. In addition, we have a new report tool, Power View, and installation support for Windows Server Core (Windows Server version without a full graphical environment).