SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is a software application first launched with the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 that is used for configuring, managing, and administering all components within Microsoft SQL Server. The tool includes both script editors and graphical tools which work with objects and features of the server.
A central feature of SSMS is the Object Explorer, which allows the user to browse, select, and act upon any of the objects within the server. It also has an "express" version that can be freely downloaded.
Starting from version 11, the application has been rewritten in WPF that is similar to Visual Studio 2010.
In June 2015, Microsoft announced their intention to release future versions of SSMS independently of SQL Server database engine releases.
