We use Toad as a solution for packages and day-to-day tasks, like calling and finding, when we have some support queries or need to check if there is a data issue. We also use it when we want to develop objects. For those kinds of sites only we use Toad. Sometimes we use it to load data from a third-party source.
It just gives us another tool to use when working with clients to solve issues.
The feature that is handy in Toad is that I think it is best for working with Oracle. Currently, I'm using DBeaver, SQL Server, SQL Developer, and Postgres. We are using multiple databases and tools and use Toad for Oracle only. Toad might be good for other situations but I never used it. When we have another kind of database or multiple database types, then we go to DBeaver, which is very handy right now.
There is not a lot to be improved in Toad. I am not using the newest version because the older version works almost all the time. It is a limitation already defined because of performance or coding. It does not kill the session but it forces a restart because processes hang. This may have been fixed in later versions.
One thing I would like to see improved is the log files. If they can tell whenever there is a failure like a hang, we are not able to understand the log. When we refer to any log file we do it for more analysis to find the exact cause and pinpoint the debugging. To know exactly why Toad has hanged or failed so we can research it out in the log file would be really helpful. Then we know what the cause is and what we should not be doing.
The product is solid except for the issue I will mention several times here that may have been fixed since I last upgraded. When you process many records (in the range of more than 20 million at a time) the product just hangs without any warning. It would be better to just say: "okay this is the limit." Instead it just goes and hangs sometimes. Even there it is impossible to tell if it is a problem with the product as the cause does not show in the log.
Comparatively to other similar products, it is 99 percent stable.
I'm fairly sure the use of the product is scalable. To my knowledge, it has a limitation in going over a certain number of records, but maybe that limitation is not really a limitation. It may be something that other people will never run up against. Because I am using an older version this might not be an issue with later versions, so the claim itself may not be valid.
I did not ever use technical support. If I need to, I do search for the errors in the blogs and forums on the net. I do refer them, but I never contacted the Toad support.
We have used and still use many solutions as consultants. Some products solve different problems.
Installing Toad is very straightforward. Not much to do because just following the instructions works. We need to just set a few parameters and that's all.
Normally, we don't have to have a deployment, it is just something we use as a client tool and we have had it installed for some time. When we do a deployment, it doesn't take too much time. For one of the first clients we deployed for, we used it to create a database and move it to production and it took a little time because we had no experience. Depending on the size of the database, it might take you a maximum of thirty minutes to one hour.
To keep Toad up and running we don't need any maintenance. I'm not developing the Toad product, I'm telling as a user of the Toad product how to use it.
Toad is a product which comes in several versions. When we know your base architecture and the needs of your company, we either buy the license or use the trial version. It depends on the company's situation.
We evaluated many products and continue to evaluate them. Toad is a popular one and well-known by Oracle users.
Toad is fast and very convenient. You just need to choose what you want to create, configure all the items and objects, then just generate the scripts, test and you can use the same script and create the objects in production. It is an easy tool to use.
Toad is a tool to efficiently connect to and use the Oracle database. It gives you the power so you can query, develop the keys and you can execute them to store and retrieve the data. However, when you use a larger database, you may not end up with the only single database type. For example, you might have another system where you had big data or something so in that case, you are better off to choose some free database management system — a generic database system like Postgres or MySQL.
Oracle is comparatively not cost-effective. It is the best, but having the best comes with a cost. So when you use Oracle as your database you know you are using a good product. If your system is more complicated, Toad may not be able to connect to all the databases available. We use DBeaver in that case which is fourth-generation and the fifth-generation database tool and allows you to connect to all kind of databases like MySQL, SQLserver, Postgres, or other tools. For our purposes, Toad is a single tool which helps you connect to Oracle. In our experience, sometimes a business is more interested in such kind of tool that they know by name and can trust. Toad is best obviously, they use it, but sometimes it is confused with a lot of different tools whose purpose is not the same.
Most of the users who are using Toad have got a contract with Toad. For those who do not, it can be a hefty cost to move to Toad. Once they know that there is extra involved, then they will not have as much interest if what they are doing is not within its scope. You can use for Oracle only and has some higher-end limitations, but if someone is already extensively using Toad's database then they might face these kinds of costs.
All that said, I would rate Toad a ten out of ten compared to other products with use for Oracle. We know what it is we can use it for and it is always the best product for the purpose. Until now, ur servers have always worked.
