Installing SQL 2005 Express Edition

Double-click the installer file to start the product installation. The contents of the file are extracted and the installation begins.

After you start the installation, you have to agree to the typical End User License Agreement after which you're presented with a screen that shows you what prerequisites you need to get the express dition on your system. The installer will handle the installation of these prerequisites for you. Click the Install button to install these items. Once the items are installed, click the next button.

Once the prerequities are in place the SQL Server Installation wizard will start. The first screen you're shown provides you with a list of items that may not give you trouble if you continue the installation. Click Next to continue.

After that, you have to provide your name and, optionally, your company's name. I have also unchecked the box marked 'Hide advanced configuration options" so you can get a look at these options during the installation.

Next, you get to choose which features you want to install. even though the Express Edition is free, it includes many of the features found in the Standard and Enterprise editions. I've decided to install everything except replication. Also choose to install the Management Studio Express. This is an outstanding utility provided by Microsoft and it replaces Query Analyzer and Enterprise Manager. If you want to install to adifferent location, click the Browse button to choose this new location.

Decide which features you want to install. the only one you absolutely need is the Database Services option. but the others are very useful.

Instances wer introduced in SQL Server 2000 and provide a way for you to more seamlessly serve multiple databases from a single SQL Server.
SQL Server 2005 Express Edition supports up to 16 named instances while the Enterprise Edition supports up to 50.

Service accounts are used in order to better protect your SQL Server -- and the rest of your network -- in the event of a security breach. If you run your SQL Server under an administrative account, you run the risk of additional damage should your server be compromised. Therefore, run SQL Server 2005 Express Edition under a user account with few, if any, rights.

Fig: F

SQL Server can authenticate users in two ways: (1) directly against Active Directory - Windows Authentication Mode; (2) against its own database - Mixed Mode, since Windows Authentication is also supported.

*** Select mixed mode and enter the password for sa login - please remember this password as you would need it for configurating the database and webconfig.

The next step of the installation involves selecting a collation method, which defines the way that your SQL Server will sort data. If you need to maintain backward compatibility with older versions of SQL Server, you should choose SQL Collations. If, however, you do not need to worry about backward compatibility, you should choose the Latin1_General collation method, unless, of cours, you're using a different languge.

fig: H

SQL Server 2005 Express provides a new feature: The ability to run sub-instances of the product under a normal user account. User Instances are useful in situations in which users are logged into Windows under a least-privileged user account. Usning user instances, the user can still have SQL system administrator privileges to their SQL 'sandbox", but the rest of the system is protected since the user's primary account does not have rights to make global changes. Databases housed under user instances support only a single connection and higher-end features such as replication are not supported. If you want to suport user instances in your installation, make sure he checkbox next to 'Enable User Instances" is selected.

Introduced as an add-on for SQL Server 2000, and enhanced version fo Reporting Services is included with SQL Server 2005. For your small SQL Server 2005 Express Edition installation, I recommend that you install this feautre, but don't worry about customizing the configuration. The default configuration places the tool at http://{your server anme}/ReportServer. The Report Manager tool is placed at http://{yourservername}/Repoirts .

If you decide to use SQL Server 2005 and Reporting Services in a production environment, make suere to obtain an SSL certificate for user with the Reporting Services site, which is housed in IIS.

Fig: J

Microsoft has included an error reporting tool in other applications for quite some time. This feature is now optionally included in SQL Server 2005 Express. Further, Mocrosoft wants you to send them anonymouse usage data about your installation. Neither option is enabled by default. Personally, I like the rror reporting service and the only way it will improve is by adding data. I don't like ending usage data, however.While it's supposedly confidential, it doesn't direclty benefit my installation.

Decide what information you want to send to Microsoft.

These are all of your options for SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. Continue on to install the product using these selections.

In some cases, your installation may fail with errors reported for the SQL Native Client and the SQL Server Database Services. In addition, the Workstation Components selection may indicate a failure. If this happens to you, it may be because you formerly had a conflicting SQL Server Service on the machine and the Native Client previously installed is creating aproblem. If this is the case for you, follow these steps:

1.Change to the directory in which you saved thedownloaded SWL Server Express 2005 installer.
2.Extract the contents of the installer to anew directory: sqlexpr_adv.exe/x:c:\sqltmp. If you are using the donloadthat does not contains the advanced services, this command is swlexpr.exe/x:c:\sqltmp instead.
3.Change to C:\sqltemp\setup.
4.Execute "wqlincli.msl"
5.Choose the 'Uninstall' option.
6.Reboot your server.
7.Run the SQL Server Express 2005 installer again. It should be successful this time around.