Starting SQL Server

[Jim Pockmire]

I have a SQL Server database and I have installed SQL
Server from MS-Office Developer Edition. Not knowing
anything about SQL Server, do I have the necessary
components to set up a server and configure an ODBC data
source that I can use with MS-Access?

 

[Sylvain Lafontaine]

Yes,

The version that come with MS-Office is the MSDE or Microsoft Data
Engine. This is a scaled down version of SQL-Server, with databases of
about 2Gigs max size but otherwise with full compatibility with SQL-Server
2000.

This biggest missing thing with MSDE are the administrative and
management tools. You can use Access to do some of these tasks, but it's
far more easier to use your SQL-Server CD-Rom to install the SQL-Server
Client tools in order to manager the MSDE. You can also buy the SQL-Server
Developer Edition, for about 50$US, and install the client tools to manage
your MSDE installation or use any SQL-Server Demo Edition to do the same
thing, as the client tools usually aren't limited in time.

There is a newsgroup for msde: microsoft.public.sqlserver.msde


But make sure that you have installed the latest version with the latest
service pack.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results.aspx?productID=&freetext=msde&DisplayLang=en

S. L.

 

[Vadim Rapp]

JP> I have a SQL Server database and I have installed
JP> SQL Server from MS-Office Developer Edition. Not
JP> knowing anything about SQL Server, do I have the
JP> necessary components to set up a server and
JP> configure an ODBC data source that I can use with
JP> MS-Access?

Yes. After the installation, you should see in your system tray new icon
Service Manager that actually controls the server, you can start and stop it
using that icon. It should be also present somewhere in your Start Menu.

Once the server is started, open your ODBC from control panel and configure
the data source.

To control the server, create Access Project (ADP) - then you will be able
to create tables and other objects on the server. Maybe you will then choose
to develop your application in ADP as well instead of MDB with ODBC.

Vadim