I am in absolute total amazement right now as to how much time and effort SQL Packager from Red Gate Software has saved me this evening.

I have a client who has a database located on a 3rd party web host on the Internet.  I needed to get an exact copy of this database, schema and data, on my test PC, which is not connected to the Internet.  I had been putting off this task for the past couple of days as it just seemed like a monotonous task given the situation.

So, I know Red Gate Software is known for their SQL Tools, but I never experienced them firsthand until this evening.  While looking on their website, this simple description of SQL Packager seemed to suggest it would fit the bill:

I took about 5 minutes to read their quick walk-through, which in my opinion may actually make the product seem more difficult to use than it actually is. After downloading and installing SQL Packager, I just pointed it to my client's remote database and it's simple wizard-like interface walked me through the 4-step process that created a 452KB .NET executable that contained everything to re-create the database on my test PC.  I copied this executable to my USB drive, walked it over to my test PC, ran it, and it made an exact copy of the database on my local instance of SQL Server.

It took me longer to write this post than it did for me to copy that database.  I love software that works, requires absolutely no documentation, and literally proves itself within 15 minutes of download!