Running SQL Server
Microsoft® SQL Server™ can run over the network or without a network.
Running SQL Server on a Network
For SQL Server to communicate over the network, the SQL Server service must be running. By default, Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 and Windows® 2000 automatically start the built-in SQL Server service. To find out whether the SQL Server service has been started, at the command prompt, type:
net start
If the SQL Server service has been started, the following appears in the net start output:
C:\> net start
These Windows NT services are started:
ClipBook Server
Computer Browser
EventLog
Messenger
Network DDE
Network DDE DSDM
Server
Workstation
The command completed successfully.
If the SQL Server service has not been started, at the command prompt, type:
net start server
The following message indicates that the service has been started:
The Server service was started successfully.
You can also use the Services application in Control Panel to check service status and to start and stop services. For more information, see the Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 documentation.
Running SQL Server Without a Network
When running an instance of SQL Server without a network, you do not need to start the built-in SQL Server service. Because SQL Server Enterprise Manager, SQL Server Service Manager, and the net start and net stop commands are functional even without a network, the procedures for starting and stopping an instance of SQL Server are identical for a network or stand-alone operation.
When connecting to an instance of a stand-alone SQL Server from a local client such as osql, you bypass the network and connect directly to the instance of SQL Server by using a local pipe. The difference between a local pipe and a network pipe is whether you are using a network. Both local and network pipes establish a connection with an instance of SQL Server by using the standard pipe (\pipe\sql\query), unless otherwise directed.
When you connect to an instance of a local SQL Server without specifying a server name, you are using a local pipe. When you connect to an instance of a local SQL Server and specify a server name explicitly, you are using either a network pipe or another network interprocess communication (IPC) mechanism, such as Internetwork Packet Exchange/Sequenced Packet Exchange (IPX/SPX) (assuming you have configured SQL Server to use multiple networks). Because a stand-alone SQL Server does not support network pipes, you must omit the unnecessary /Sserver_name argument when connecting to the instance of SQL Server from a client. For example, to connect to a stand-alone instance of SQL Server from osql, type:
osql /Usa /P