Hello All

A quick question. We are moving an Access database over to SQL Server 2005.
No problems. The SQL Server database will be located on it's own server. To
test the system, I installed SQL Server 2005 Express onto the server, got
the database attached etc. No problems. I installed the same Express version
onto a client computer so that the operator could use the database from his
workstation, tried to attach the database, but the network drive was not
listed in the file dropdown box..only the local C: and D: drives. My gut
says that Express won't look at network drives, anyone care to comment?

Thank you

David.

That is correct. None of the versions of SQL Server support the database
files residing on a networked share. But you don't attach the db from the
server to a client anyway. The client should not be the sqls server service
itself, it should be an application suing the client / server approach. The
client talks to the server and hence the db thru the SQL Server service on
the server and thus the client has no need to access the files directly.

--
Andrew J. Kelly SQL MVP
Solid Quality Mentors

Thank you for that prompt reply Andrew.

It is what I suspected.
My main problem then is, if the SQL Database is located at a remote
location..another building for example, then my client will NOT be able to
run queries/change tables/etc using the Management Consule for a SQL Server
2005 instance on HIS local machine? Sorry for the rather basic question,
but this is all sort of new to me

Regards

David

"Andrew J. Kelly" shadhawk.com> wrote in message
news:eeWb6H42IHA.2424@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

Why not? Your users even - if they'd be on the Moon- can query your SQL
Server databases if you enable remote connection in your SQL Server Express
Edition instance. Which is disabled by default. And of course you need an
internet connection =)

You should open up SQL Server Surface Area Configuration tool of SQL Server
to enable this protocol. Or you can perform this action from SQL Server
Configuration Manager.

If your SQL Server instance is a Named Instance, then I suggest you to use a
static port and let this port in your Firewall software\hardware. If it's a
Default Instance then your port would be 1433 by default. And you'll
configure these settings from Configuration Manager.

--
Ekrem Önsoy

"David Clifford" wrote in message
news:u%%23lnfg42IHA.4500@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

It's not clear to me what you are asking. You need to separate the two parts
here. You have the server which will host the database and the SQL Server
Service. The Client can live anywhere as long as it has TCP access to the
server. The client can be SQL Server Management Studio, a .net app, a web
server etc. it doesn't matter as it is simply talking to the server. You can
also have a client on the same machine as the server but that is not a
requirement. So if you have a desktop that will be a remote client to a SQL
Server on another box that is fine. But it can also be a client to a local
copy of SQL Server on that desktop as well. You can use the same client
(SSMS) to connect to both and do what you want as long as you have the
proper permissions.

--
Andrew J. Kelly SQL MVP
Solid Quality Mentors

"David Clifford" wrote in message
news:u%%23lnfg42IHA.4500@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

Hello Andrew. Sorry for this confusion. To start again:

We have an SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition located in a building that is
away from our office. "Our" database is registered on that server, and the
plan is that all backups/shrinking etc will be done offsite by the people
who manage the Enterprise SQL Server 2005 Package. It is preferred this way
because our organization has a dedicated SQL Server team who look after
DOZENS of other SQL Server databases that are attached to the Enterprose
Edition of SQL Server.

My Visual Basic application accesses this remote Enterprise SQL Server
database via an ODBC link over a LAN. All works well.

But, my client wants to alter tables/write views/stored procedures etc.,
etc. So, instead of leaving his office to go to the other building to use
the Management console on the Enterprise Edition SQL Server 2005, he want to
"link" to the database on HIS office based computer over the LAN using SQL
Server 2005 Express and SQL Server Express Management Console.

Thank you Ekrem

What you have written is very useful, I am not in the office at the moment,
but I have 'phoned my colleagues to ask them to try this. I will let you
know the outcome.

Thank you

Regards

David "Ekrem

First, you can't attach a database in a remote machine in your network as
Andrew has already mantioned.

Second, you can't attach the sames database more than one instance of SQL
Server at once. One database can be used only by one SQL Server instance and
as far as I understand the database in question is already attached to a SQL
Server instance.

Why not installing only SQL Server Management Studio and connect to your
remote instance and perform actions this way? Just like connecting your
database in a web hosting company which hosts your web...

Thank you Ekrem:

remote instance and perform actions this way?

Yes! that is EXACTLY what I want to do! I have installed SQL Server 2005
Express, and now I want to connect to the remote database and use the
Management Studio to manipulate the database. The Alias steps that you
highlighted appear to be the answer. But, I am not in the office at the
moment to try anything.

May I ask..when I have set up my Alias in the SQL Server Configuration
Manager, say I call my Alias FOO, what will appear in the Management Studio
Object Explorer? And, will I open it up just as I do a regularly listed
database?

Thank you very much for your time and help here.

Regards
David

"Ekrem

You don't have to install SQL Server 2005 Express Edition to have SQL Server
Management Studio. SSMS does not come with Express Edition of SQL Server
2005. Or, do you mean "SQL Server Management Studio Express" by saying "SQL
Server 2005 Express"?

If you name your Alias FOO, then you type FOO in the SSMS' s "Connect to
Database Engine" window. Also, you'll need to use a SQL Login rather than a
Windows Login. I'm telling you this because I assume your machines and your
remote SQL Server Instance is not in the same Active Directory?

You'll see everything in the Object Explorer just like you were in front of
your remote SQL Server server. Of course as long as you have enough
permissions... Almost no difference. You'll just not see the green\red icons
which shows the status of the SQL Server service =)

--
Ekrem Önsoy

"David Clifford" wrote in message
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