Installing SQL Server Express 2008

Notice:

Goals: installation of

We executed the SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools (SQLEXPRWT_x86_ENU.exe)

The very first screen of the installation program is quiet complex, presenting lot of features, and we can directly access a system configuration checker dialog to verify our system conforms to the minum requirements for installing SQL Server 2008,

where we hopefully are rewared with a positive response about our subsystem

so we can proceed with our initial goal, the installation of SQL Server Management Studio Basic.

Back to the installation pane of the setup wizard, we select to install or add new features to existing instances

After the execution of a new configuration check, this time with different check parameters, we get to the main installation wizard dialog,

Proceeding next, after the End User License Agreement acceptance dialog, we are reported to install all required setup support files

that we install without further ado and with positive result, as reported by

the Windows FireWall warning is here to remember us to define appropriate exceptions in order to allow remote connections to the installing instance.

We are now accessing the features selection dialog, where the users can define what to install, in this case SSMS

We are not dealing with the destination directories and accept the default proposed values.

Our system is later checked for disk space requirements

We elected to notify Microsoft about our installation experience and eventual exceptions and, soon after the next configuration check, we are finally reported with a summary of the pending installing operation

and finally the installation process is ready to be performed.

The positive conclusion of the task is reached after 10 minutes, with our happy faces and

later confirmed by the setup completation dialog.

When finished with this first installation, we are taken back to the initial installation center wetup dialog, where we can chose to proceed with further actions as, in the case, the installation of a named instance of the relational database engine.

To satisfy our curiosity, we are going to check the actual performed installation at application level

where we can verify all required components are available and we are gratified with a nice surprise, the presence of the Import and Export data tool, a heavily missed feature in the SQLExpress 2005 package, available only as part of the Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition Toolkit, a nice to have if not required additional companion package for SQLExpress 2005 with Advanced Services.

Add or Remove programs applet is not that intuitive about the performed action:
a lot of new entries are listed, and not all of them seem to directly be related to the client tools installation, but more likely seem to refer an actual engine installation

but additional investigations at the installed and available services level is confirming us no additional service has been installed

and so is confirming the performed file system check, that correctly only finds only client conponents elements and no evidence of SQL Server engine.

We are now screaming for trying the new installed SQL Server Management Studio Basic tool

and we do immediately try a remote connection to a SQL Server 2005 database engine instance, and we are pleased to confirm it just works as expected :) , and are delighted with the brand new included feature of the Activity monitor

We can therefore proceed to our next step.