SQL Server 2000 on Windows 98

SQL Server Architecture

SQL Server Architecture

SQL Server 2000 on Windows 98

Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000 includes two main types of software that can be run on Microsoft Windows® 98:

  • Client software

    All users covered by a SQL Server client access license can install the SQL Server client software on a Microsoft Windows 98 computer. The client software can be installed from the compact disc for SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition, SQL Server 2000 Standard Edition, or SQL Server 2000 Professional Edition using the SQL Server Setup options Client-Tools Only or Connectivity Only. The client software is also often installed by applications that use SQL Server to store data. The SQL Server 2000 client software also runs on Microsoft Windows 95.

  • Server software

    Any user who has purchased SQL Server 2000 Personal Edition can install the server software from that edition on a computer running the Windows 98 operating system. Applications that install the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Edition can do so on Windows 98.

SQL Server Client Software on Windows 98 and Windows 95

SQL Server 2000 client software consists of:

  • Utilities for managing SQL Server and performing ad hoc queries of SQL Server databases.

  • Connectivity components such as the OLE DB Provider for SQL Server, the SQL Server ODBC driver, and the client Net-Libraries. These are used by any application that connects to an instance of SQL Server.

The SQL Server 2000 client software runs the same on a Windows 98 or Windows 95 computer as it does on a Microsoft Windows NT® or Windows 2000 computer, with the following exceptions:

  • The Windows 98 and Windows 95 network redirectors do not provide computer browser support. SQL Server dialog boxes that depend on this feature to get a list of servers do not display a server list on Windows 98 or Windows 95. This includes the Register Server dialog box, the Register Server Wizard, and the Query Analyzer Login dialog box.

  • The SQL Server utilities are not supported on Windows 95. They are supported on Windows 98.

  • The SQL Server tools that poll for the state of a server (SQL Server Enterprise Manager, SQL Server Agent) must do so actively using a poll service state interval defined by the user.
SQL Server 2000 Server Components on Windows 98

The SQL Server 2000 Personal Edition and the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine are the only editions whose server components can be installed on Windows 98.

When SQL Server 2000 Personal Edition and the SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine are running on Windows 98 computers, the following features are not available:

  • The Named Pipes and Banyan VINES server Net-Libraries cannot be installed on Windows 98. The server NWLink IPX/SPX Net-Library is also not supported on Windows 98. An instance of SQL Server 2000 on a computer running the Windows 98 operating system cannot accept connections using these protocols. Although Windows 98 does not support these server Net-Libraries, it does support the client Net-Libraries. SQL Server clients running on Windows 98 computers can connect to instances of SQL Server on Windows NT or Windows 2000 computers using these protocols.

  • Neither the client nor server AppleTalk Net-Libraries are supported on Windows 98 or Windows 95.

  • Windows 98 does not support the server functions of the API used for Windows Authentication. Clients cannot connect to an instance of SQL Server on a Windows 98 computer using Windows Authentication. Windows 98 and Windows 95 do support the client functions of the API for Windows Authentication. SQL Server clients running on Windows 98 or Windows 95 computers can connect to instances of SQL Server 2000 on Windows NT or Windows 2000 computers using Windows Authentication.

  • The server side of using encryption with the Multiprotocol Net-Library is not supported on Windows 98 or Windows 95. Clients cannot connect to an instance of SQL Server 2000 on a Windows 98 or Windows 95 computer using Multiprotocol encryption. Windows 98 and Windows 95 do support the client functions for Multiprotocol encryption, so SQL Server clients running on Windows 98 and Windows 95 computers can connect to instances of SQL Server on Windows NT or Windows 2000 computers using Multiprotocol encryption.

  • Windows 98 does not support asynchronous I/O or scatter-gather I/O. Because of this, the database engine cannot use some of the I/O optimizations it uses on Windows NT and Windows 2000 to maximize throughput with many concurrent users.

  • On Windows 98, SQL Server manages its memory requests based on the amount of database work being done instead of maintaining virtual memory at a point that minimizes swapping as it does on Windows NT and Windows 2000. For more information, see Memory Architecture.

  • Windows 98 does not have a component that corresponds to Window NT or Windows 2000 services. The SQL Server database engine and SQL Server Agent run as executable programs on Windows 98. These SQL Server components cannot be started as services automatically. They can be started by placing a command prompt command in the Windows 98 startup group, but then they run as a separate Microsoft MS-DOS® window.

    SQL Server Service Manager is installed in the Windows 98 startup group and operates with the same user interface as it does on Windows NT and Windows 2000.

  • Windows 98 does not have event logs. SQL Server uses a SQL Profiler–based mechanism to launch alerts on Windows 98.

  • SQL Server Performance Monitor is not available on Windows 98 computers. Performance Monitor counters cannot be implemented for instances of SQL Server 2000 running on Windows 98. Windows 98 and Windows 95 clients cannot monitor the performance counters of an instance of SQL Server running on Windows NT or Windows 2000.