Installing SQL 2005 Express as part of an application

[Jim Bassett]

We are developing an application that makes use of SQL 2005 Express and we are installing SQL 2005 Express as part of our applications installation. We are wanting to know if anyone has had any paticular issues with the installation of SQL 2005 express and would share those expereinces with us?

[DanielaTm]

Hi,
I had some probles, meaning:

1. The client had the installation kit (of sql express) and installed it without knowing he already have had an instance installed :(
During the instalation wizard, he choosed the same name for the new instance as for the old one, and his computer just collapsed( in several cases I met that, I didn't get a coherent feed-back why)
2.Another problem : we didn't find a way to inhibit the users connected with windows authentication, so, the permissions to alter objects... wasn't under control :(

Good luck with it

[Jim Bassett]

Daniela I recieved the following comment about installing SQL 2005 Express from a sister company and thought you would be interested. Also did you experience anything like this?

We are using SQL 2005 express with our new offline timer and timeentry applications; we haven’t installed it at any clients yet. The only issues we have come across so far are with installation, you can not use click once, you have to be an administrator to install, therefore after install you need to go back in and set up user permissions.

[DanielaTm]

Hi,
I was interested in installed with the application dot net framework, sql express and also run a script on the new installed database. Click once or windows setup are not covering all this. I solved it creating a .bat file where I called for dot net framework, sql express instalation kits, and an exe ( a console application in C# which run a script on the sql server ) :)
Anyway, it still could be a problem: after installing sql server express, you nedd to add to firewall's exceptions the sqlserv.exe and sqlbrowser.exe files. I can't see a way to help the client with that : I mean you can't predict what kind of firewall he might have.

Anyeay, please keep me in touch , I am interested in this subject. Good luck!

[Jim Bassett]

Daniela have you seen the following white paper discussing how to integrate and deploy Microsoft SQL Server Express-based applications by using configuration files and the ClickOnce deployment technology in Microsoft Visual Studio. If not maybe it answers a lot of our questions, at least I hope so.



http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/?url=/library/en-us/dnsse/html/EmSQLExCustApp.asp