A client is a front-end application that uses the services provided by a server. The computer that hosts the application is referred to as the client computer. Client software enables computers to connect to an instance of Microsoft® SQL Server™ on a network.
SQL Server clients can include applications of various types, such as:
These applications use the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server or the Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC to connect to an instance of SQL Server. The OLE DB providers serve as intermediaries between SQL Server and client applications that consume SQL Server data as OLE DB rowsets.
These include client utilities installed with SQL Server, such as SQL Server Enterprise Manager and SQL Query Analyzer, as well as other applications that use the SQL Server ODBC driver to connect to an instance of SQL Server.
These include the SQL Server isql command prompt utility and clients written to DB-Library.
Regardless of the type of application, managing a client consists mainly of configuring its connection with the server components of SQL Server. Depending on the requirements of your site, client management can range from little more than entering the name of the server computer to building a library of custom configuration entries to accommodate a diverse multiserver environment.
For the majority of clients, the default network configuration installed during SQL Server Setup can be used without modification. For those clients to be able to connect, you need only supply the network name of the server running one or more instances of SQL Server. For ODBC clients, you may need to provide the client with the ODBC data source name and know how to configure an ODBC data source.
Advanced users can create and save individual network protocol configurations. This is useful in situations where SQL Server clients are connecting to multiple servers running different network protocols, or where unique site considerations, such as nonstandard port addresses, are used.
Before configuring a SQL Server client:
The following tools are used to manage most types of SQL Server clients:
The application is installed as part of the standard SQL Server client setup. SQL Server Client Network Registration creates registry entries for the client network protocol configurations and default network protocol. You do not use the application to install either the SQL Server Net-Libraries or the network protocols.
Activating a server Net-Library allows SQL Server to listen for clients on the corresponding network protocol. The actual network protocols are installed as part of Windows Setup (or through Networks in Control Panel).