I am trying to understand the differences between the following 2 connectionstrings.
one uses servername\instancename and the other one uses the server ip address.
Can I specify port number for "serverName\instanceName".
I know you can specify port number for ip address, something like '10.0.0.1,xxx'.
thanks,
Server=myServerName\theInstanceName;Database=myDataBase;Trusted_Connection=True;
Server=myServerAddress;Database=myDataBase;Trusted_Connection=True;
Quite briefly:
if you have just server=(machinename) or server=(ipaddress) then you're connecting to the default instance of SQL Server on that machine (no name for the instance)
if you have server=(machinename)\InstanceName, then you're connecting to a named instance of SQL Server on that machine
Each physical server machine can have one default instance of SQL Server, and any number of named instances (names must be different, obviously).
To connect to a named instance and specify a non-standard port, use this syntax here:
server=(machinename)\InstanceName,xxxx
or
server=(ip-address)\InstanceName,xxxx
where the xxxx stands for the port you want to use.
Mostly, its unimportant if you don't have duplicate instances.
For example, SQL supports multiple instances on the same box as a way of isolating running instances. Most of the time, you will never do this, and thus can get away with using the IP address in the connection string. If for some reason, you need to run multiple instances of SQL server on the same machine, you need to specify which instance you actually want to connect to.
This covers it in more detail.
Related
I have a an application where you can log on to either MS-SQL 2012 and MS-SQL 2008.
Fields that can be defined are:
Server IP
Database Name
User Id and Password
Schema Prefix
Previously I had no issues with this.
Now I am puzzled.
I am told MS-SQL 2012 and MS-SQL 2008 are on same box with same IP.
I googled this arrangement and it is quite OK to do that.
I have no mental picture of how connecting to one or both of these servers might be carried out.
Are these two installs folded into one? Do they listen on the same port 1433?
Should I be able to access using just the 4 fields I can specify?
Server IP,Database Name, User Id and Password and Schema Prefix.
Help if you can, please ;-)
Tony
No, that is not enough information to reach separate SQL Server instances on the same server.
When installing multiple instances of SQL Server, only one instance can be a default instaince, the other instances have to be named instances. Thus, you also need the instance name to reach one of the databases.
However, if the IP address is not strictly only an IP address but a string, you can include the instance name. Example:
123.14.314.73\sql2012
(Note: IP addreses with components above 255 are reserved for examples and movies. ;) )
When we change the port number of SQL server, is any changes we have to done in the web application, to connect the database.
Probably not. There is a service that gets installed along with the database engine called SQL Browser that serves as a means to translate the instance name to a port. So, assuming that you didn't hard code the port number into the connection string, you should be good to go. Of course, you should test it first to make sure.
I am using SQL Server 2008 R2.
I have created an SQL Job that fetches data from database tables and writes it to output file i.e. CSV on specific location.
For this I am using bcp and xp_cmdshell.
In bcp I need to pass the server name. Upto this I was using 'localhost' as server name, but by running this on another PC I have came to know that the 'localhost' login is not working on it so that the output files are not getting generated.
I searched about it and got another command that returns the server name along with server instance. i.e. SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName')
Now I am confused for using it. It is running OK with my local PC and Another PC also but my question is - Is it always run safely without any error if I put it on any other Server or PC? Which one of this is advisable to be used?
I think you're getting confused about the term "LocalHost". This is just an alias (aka loopback) that points back to the machine originating the connection.
For example, if my machine was named MYMACHINE and I was running a default instance on it, I could connect to the database either by specifying LocalHost or MYMACHINE and I would connect. If someone else was trying to connect from machine YOURMACHINE, they would only be able to connect to my database if they specified MYMACHINE. If they entered LOCALHOST it would try to connect to YOURMACHINE as that is where the connection is originating.
Back to your question now, yes, it is safe to get the servername value from SERVERPROPERTY('ServerName') as it will always report the correct and current network name of the server. This is not the case with ##SERVERNAME, so you should shy away from that for your purposes.
LocalHost: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localhost
##ServiceName (last paragraph of remarks section is important): http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187944.aspx
P.S. I apologize for not adding a comment to the question, but my reputation is not currently high enough to do so.
I'm setting up multiple SQL instances on an active/active cluster, and on our existing SQL Cluster, the cluster name is SQLCLUSTER, but we access the instances as SQLCLUSTERINST1\Instance1, SQLCLUSTERINST2\Instance2, etc. Since each instance has its own IP and network name anyway, can I install SQL as the "Default" instance on each network name? I'd really like to access my instances without having to give the instance name (ie, instead of the above, just SQLCLUSTERINST1, SQLCLUSTERINST2, etc), but my understanding of SQL is that, even in a cluster, the instance name is required, even though the IP already uniquely identifies an instance.
Does anybody know if I can do this? I'm about to install the first instance, and I wanted to get an answer to this before I start installing them as named instances if I don't need to. It just seems reduntant, and potentially unnecessary, to have to give the instance cluster name and the instance name to connect to a server when just the instance cluster name would uniquely identify a sql instance as-is. I would expect one default instance per cluster group (as they'd share an IP), but not per cluster.
You can only use default instances in an active/passive cluster. The reason for this is because you cannot have multiple default instances installed on the same server, clustering requires an instance to be installed on each node of the cluster to support fail over.
I ended up finding a work-around for this. While I installed named instances on the cluster, I can access them using port 1433 on each DNS name, so I don't have to provide the instance name to connect, which is what I was after.
To get this accomplished, I have to modify the listener configuration to force each instance to listen on port 1433 on its dedicated IP, rather than just relying on dynamic ports and the SQL Browser.
I've detailed the steps on my blog
Good idea rwmnau. I haven't read your blog post, yet, but I suspect the limitation revolves around registry keys or directory structures. Remember, each node only has one registry hive for SQL Server. There's a registry key that lists the instances on the box. It's a space separated list. I'm pretty sure that list has to have distinct values in it, therefore, you can't have more than one MSSQLSERVER instance. The internal instance name for default instances is MSSQLSERVER. So I think, if nothing else, there's your limitation, there. However, I do think you have a wonderful idea with using port 1433 for all instances involved. Good job and thanks for sharing. I think I might try that myself on my next cluster!
I need to convert a named instance of SQL server 2005, to a default instance.
Is there a way to do this without a reinstall?
The problem is, 2 out of 6 of the developers, installed with a named instance. So its becoming a pain changing connection strings for the other 4 of us. I am looking for the path of least resistance to getting these 2 back on to our teams standard setup.
Each has expressed that this is going to be, too much trouble and that it will take away from their development time. I assumed that it would take some time to resolve, in the best interest of all involved, I tried combing through configuration apps installed and didn't see anything, so I figured someone with more knowledge of the inner workings would be here.
I also wanted to convert a named instance to default - my reason was to access it with just the machine name from various applications.
If you want to access a named instance from any connection string without using the instance name, and using only the server name and/or IP address, then you can do the following:
Open SQL Server Configuration Manager
Click SQL Server Network Configuration
Click Protocols for INSTANCENAME you want to make available (i.e. SQLExpress)
Right-click TCP/IP and click Enabled
Right-click TCP/IP and go to Properties
Go to the IP Addresses tab
Scroll down to the IPAll section
Clear the field TCP Dynamic Ports (i.e. empty/blank)
Set TCP Port to 1433
Click Ok
Go to SQL Server Services
Right-click your SQL Server (INSTANCENAME) and click Restart
This will make the named instance listen on the default port. Note : You can have only one instance configured like this - no two instances can have same port on the IP All section unless the instance is a failover cluster.
As far as I know, no. One reason is the folder structure on the hard drive; they will have a name like MSSQL10.[instancename]
This is why a lot of companies store their applications' connection strings at the machine level instead of the application level.
Just take the connection string out of the source code entirely. Then have everyone put their connection string in their machine.config.
This has the added benefit of avoiding unnecessary app-specific environment logic, i.e. when you copy your application to the staging server, the staging server already "knows" what database to use.
The only way to change the instance name is to re-install - uninstall and install as default instance.
A lot of times I'll use client alias to point an application at a different sql server than the ones it's connection string is for, esp. handy when working on DTS or an application with a hard coded connection string. Have everybody use a commonly named alias, use the alias in the connection string and point the alias’s on each dev box to the to the different instances. That way you won't have to worry about if the server is the default instance or not.
You shouldn't ever really need to do this. Most software that claims to require the default instance (like Great Plains or Dynamics) doesn't actually.
If you repost with your situation (installed X, then Y, but need to accomplish Z) I bet you'll get some good workarounds.
I think you can migrate your data from Sql Server without having default instance installed. You can just specify the port number of your Sql Server instance in Oracle Sql Developer and you can connect just using the server name, not using the server name and the instance.
Like this:
connect to "MYSERVER, 1433"