The Client Network Utility is installed as part of Microsoft® SQL Server™ client setup. The application consists of several tabs and dialog boxes in which you can:
Important The Client Network Utility creates registry entries for the server alias configurations and default client Net-Library. The application does not install either the SQL Server client Net-Libraries or the network protocols. The SQL Server client Net-Libraries are installed during SQL Server Setup. The network protocols are installed as part of Microsoft Windows® Setup (or through Networks in Control Panel). A particular network protocol may not available as part of Windows Setup. For more information about installing these network protocols, see the vendor documentation.
If the Client Network Utility does not display a Net-Library version number and you are using a Net-Library provided by Microsoft, then one of the following problems may have occurred:
To display network library file and version information
Most of the capabilities of the Client Network Utility are designed for advanced users who want to create and edit client configuration entries. In most cases, the client default settings will work.
Configuring Net-Libraries has been greatly simplified for applications using the SQL Server 2000 client connectivity components to connect to SQL Server 2000 named instances. You only have to:
No other configuration is required. You can then connect to any instance of SQL Server 2000 by specifying the network name of the database computer and the instance name.
Note If a configured alias is connecting to the wrong server or instance, disable and then reenable the associated network protocol. This will clear any cached connection information and allow the connection to be made correctly.
Neither the Client Network Utility nor the SQL Server Network Utility lists the Shared Memory Net-Library. Usually, the Shared Memory Net-Library is enabled for local connections and has no configurable properties.
Note The Shared Memory Net-Library can be disabled using the Client Network Utility. This can be useful for isolating connectivity problems.
Although no configuration actions are required on SQL Server 2000 application computers that are connecting only to instances of SQL Server 2000, you can use the Client Network Utility to:
Before enabling the SSL encryption, you must install a server certificate from a certificate authority on the database computer, and the client must have been issued a root Certificate Authority (CA) certificate from the same Certificate Authority. For more information about SSL encryption, see Net-Library Encryption.
If an application computer using SQL Server 2000 client components connects to database computers running an instance of SQL Server version 7.0 or earlier, you need to configure client Net-Libraries only if the SQL Server is not listening on the default network addresses. When adding a Named Pipe alias in the Client Network Utility, you can specify the network name of the database computer separately in the Computer name box.
When you configure a multiprotocol alias, you can enable encryption. This encryption feature applies only to the Multiprotocol Net-Library and is the same as the multiprotocol encryption offered in SQL Server version 7.0 and earlier. This encryption feature is offered only for compatibility with existing applications. It is recommended that SQL Server 2000 clients use the SSL encryption specified on the General tab in the Enable protocol encryption check box of the Client Network Utility.
To start the Client Network Utility