The performance enhancement tools should monitor three aspects of a database application, which are database structure, the system itself and the application. These tools help manage the system resources perform optimally, while allowing you to analyze and optimize queries and run applications at top speed.

On a day-to-day basis a DBA requires some administration tools that help him in simplifying the tasks ranging from database object creation to database synchronization. In the absence of such administrative tools, the DBA would be required to write complex scripts for such intricate tasks that would consume time and would sometimes be error-prone too. Such administrative tools help DBA by automating some of the complex tasks and also help him in saving time.

Most of the DBMS applications provide basic backup and recovery features. However, these can't satiate the requirements of a DBA. He needs tools that can automate processes of backup and recovery and can also implement procedures for disaster recovery. The recovery tools help the DBA in such tasks. Some advanced recovery tools are also available that examine the database logs and then perform online SQL-based recoveries of the crashed or corrupted databases.

Adoption of such tools by DBAs that have automation capabilities, results in great improvement of the data availability and integrity, and hence improved performance of the database.

Development DBA tools
During the development of application database, the DBA focuses on building an effective database environment to support applications running in an organization. As the programs for an application are built, the DBA also has to look toward providing proper database structures that would be required by the application.