MSDE Setup -- Wheres the Server?

I am using VB.net to build ASP.net pages. I finally decided it was time to start using SQL server based code. So, I installed MSDE...or so I thought.

I have the server Icon in the bottom systray and it's green and seems to be running.

I have been able to use Microsoft Access' Database Upgrade Wizard to create BB.adp file.

An in VB.net I see a master.dbo connection in Server Explorer.

But I can't figure out how to access the database via the SQL server. When I right click on Server Explorer...the Create a New SQL database menu item is greyed out.

My concern is that my installation is not complete and/or I don't know how to locate and verify the server.

Any help would be appreciated. ThanksMSDN link http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnmsde/html/msderoadmap.asp to run thru the details.

MSDE integration with VB. NET

I have VB. NET
I want to build SQL databases on my own PC using VB and
MSDE.
No matter how many ways I install it or passwords I use,
I just cannot get read/write access from witihn VB. I
have upsized the Northwind.mdb.
There seems to be a multidude or service packs for MSDE
and numerous ways of entering passwords.
Could osmeone please just give me a setp by step account
of installing MSDE (with all relevant switches and
passwords), getting a SQL instance on MSDE running and
visible on the manager, upsizing the access database
(with all relevant passwords - what the hell is a trusted
connection?), and then be able to create a view from the
Server Explorer in .NET.
I've been slaving over this for the past two days and
it's driving me nuts. Please help maintain my sanity.
Thanks
Guy
Hi ,
Following are the various parameters available for installing msde along
with examples:
Most installations of MSDE 2000 Release A are made using only these Setup
parameters:
Parameter Description
SAPWD="AStrongPassword" Specifies a strong password to be assigned to the
sa administrator login.
INSTANCENAME="InstanceName" Specifies the name of the instance. If
INSTANCENAME is not specified, Setup installs a default instance.
Other parameters often used to tailor an installation are:
Parameter Description
DISABLENETWORKPROTOCOLS=n Specifies whether the instance will accept
network connections from applications running on other computers. By
default, or if you specify DISABLENTWORKPROTOCOL=1, Setup configures the
instance to not accept network connections. Specify
DISABLENETWORKPROTOCOLS=0 to enable network connections.
SECURITYMODE=SQL Specifies that the instance be installed in Mixed Mode,
where the instance supports both Windows Authentication and SQL
Authentication logins.
DATADIR="data_folder_path" Specifies the folder where Setup installs the
system databases, error logs, and installation scripts. The value specified
for data_folder_path must end with a backslash (\). For a default instance,
Setup appends MSSQL\ to the value specified. For a named instance, Setup
appends MSSQL$InstanceName\, where InstanceName is the value specified with
the INSTANCENAME parameter. Setup builds three folders at the specified
location: a Data folder, a Log folder, and a Script folder.
TARGETDIR="executable_folder_path" Specifies the folder where Setup
installs the MSDE 2000 executable files. The value specified for
executable_folder_path must end with a backslash (\). For a default
instance, Setup appends MSSQL\Binn to the value specified. For a named
instance, Setup appends MSSQL$InstanceName\Binn, where InstanceName is the
value specified with the INSTANCENAME parameter.
When you use DISABLENETWORKPROTOCOLS=0 to enable network support for an
instance of MSDE 2000, applications connecting to the instance over a
network use Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). All versions of
Windows supported for use with MSDE 2000 include a version of the MDAC
software that works with MSDE 2000 Release A.
* A trusted connection means the login used to login used to log on to the
machine is the same used by all the applications on the machine for any
authentication mechanism.
Hope this provides you with an answer
Girish sundaram
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

MSDE instance setup question

I needed to distribute the MSDE components to the computers that use my
software so I decided to build a setup program using InstallShield that
included the MSDE files.
After I ran the installation, I noticed that the setup created a folder on
my computer using the MSDE instance name I told the setup program to used
prefixed by a "$" character. So the folder created for an instance named
such as MACHOGRANDE was "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL
Server\MSSQL$MACHOGRANDE"
After noticing that, I went on to explore this folder and notice that it had
a bunch of files in it, I was surprised to see that one of the files was
named sqlservr.exe! It almost looked like the installation of my MSDE
instance was like a totally independent sql server installation! Like if it
had nothing to do with the other MSDE instance I had running. I doubt this
is the case since I am pretty sure there must be a gazzilion other files
installed on the computer that are sheared by all the database that use the
MSDE engine.
So my question is,
1. Why did the instance of MSDE crated all of this extra files (such as
sqlservr.exe)? Instead of simply created the ldf and mdf files like a
regular SQL server database? Aren't the MSDE and SQL server supposed to be
the same thing?
2. Also is there a special reason for the "$" character"?
Thanks
Hi Rene,
Welcome to use MSDN Managed Newsgroup!
[vbcol=seagreen]
be[vbcol=seagreen]
The SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) is a redistributable version
of the SQL Server relational database engine. MSDE 2000 is designed to be
distributed as a part of applications that require a local data store.
Software developers can code the setup of their application to install an
instance of MSDE 2000 and build a database to be used by the application.
The application is then coded to perform any needed administration of that
database and instance of MSDE 2000, and to use the data in the database to
store application data.
The main component in MSDE 2000, the database engine, provides for the
storage of data. MSDE 2000 includes a version of the SQL Server 2000
database engine tailored to run on a notebook or desktop client computer,
operating as the local data store for an application supporting one user or
a small workgroup of users. The database engine included in MSDE 2000
includes most of the functionality of the database engine included in the
other editions of SQL Server 2000. But it does not include some features
used in large production databases, such as parallel queries and indexed
views. For more information about the database engine features supported by
MSDE 2000
For more information, you are encouraged to check following topic in the
Books Online / MSDN Online
Understanding SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...us/architec/8_
ar_ts_67ax.asp
What are the limitations of MSDE?
http://www.aspfaq.com/show.asp?id=2343
[vbcol=seagreen]
For all named instances, it will be identified as MSSQL$<instance name>.
SQL Server 2000 supports multiple instances of the SQL Server database
engine running concurrently on the same computer.
All instances of the database engine other than the default instance are
identified by an instance name specified during installation of the
instance. Applications must provide both the computer name and the instance
name of any named instance to which they are attempting to connect. The
computer name and instance name are specified in the format
computer_name\instance_name.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation. If you have any questions or
concerns, don't hesitate to let me know. We are always here to be of
assistance!
Sincerely yours,
Michael Cheng
Microsoft Online Partner Support
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
================================================== ===
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.