Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2000

Installing SQL Server

Installing SQL Server

Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2000

The minimum hardware and software requirements for running Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000 are listed in the following tables.

Hardware Requirements

This table shows hardware requirements for installing Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server client management tools and libraries.

Hardware Minimum requirements
Computer Intel® or compatible

Pentium 166 MHz or higher.

Memory (RAM)1 Enterprise Edition: 64 MB minimum, 128 MB or more recommended

Standard Edition: 64 MB minimum

Personal Edition: 64 MB minimum on Windows 2000, 32 MB minimum on all other operating systems

Developer Edition: 64 MB minimum

Desktop Engine: 64 MB minimum on Windows 2000, 32 MB minimum on all other operating systems

Hard disk space2 SQL Server database components: 95 to 270 MB, 250 MB typical

Analysis Services: 50 MB minimum, 130 MB typical

English Query: 80 MB

Desktop Engine only: 44 MB

Monitor VGA or higher resolution

800x600 or higher resolution required for the SQL Server graphical tools

Pointing device Microsoft Mouse or compatible
CD-ROM drive Required

1 Additional memory may be required, depending on operating system requirements.
2 Actual requirements will vary based on your system configuration and the applications and features you choose to install.

Note  Microsoft SQL Server 2000 does not have a hardware compatibility list (HCL). If your computer meets the minimum requirements listed in the preceding table, SQL Server 2000 software works on the hardware certified for use with the Microsoft Windows® operating system. For more information about hardware certified for use with the Windows operating system, see the Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility List at Microsoft Web site.

Operating System Requirements

This table shows the operating systems that must be installed to use the various editions or components of Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

SQL Server edition or component
Operating system requirement
Enterprise Edition Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Microsoft Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Data Center Server.

Note that Microsoft Windows 2000 Server (any version) is required for some SQL Server 2000 features.

Standard Edition Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft Windows NT Server Enterprise Edition, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Data Center Server.
Personal Edition Microsoft Windows Me, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional, Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000 Server, and all the more advanced Windows operating systems.
Developer Edition Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0, Windows 2000 Professional, and all other Windows NT and Windows 2000 operating systems.
Client Tools Only Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 (all versions), Windows Me, and Windows 98.
Connectivity Only Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000 (all versions), Windows Me, Windows 98, and Windows 95.

Note  Microsoft Windows NT® Server 4.0, Service Pack 5 (SP5) or later must be installed as a minimum requirement for all SQL Server 2000 editions.

SQL Server 2000 is not supported on Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server.

For installations of SQL Server 2000 Personal Edition on Windows 98 computers without a network card, Windows 98 Second Edition is required.

Internet Requirements

This table shows Internet requirements related to using Microsoft SQL Server 2000.

Component Requirement
Internet software Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 is required for all installations of Microsoft SQL Server 2000, as it is required for Microsoft Management Console (MMC) and HTML Help. A minimal install is sufficient, and Internet Explorer is not required to be the default browser.

Exception to the Internet Explorer 5.0 requirement: If using the Connectivity Only option and not connecting to a server that requires encryption, Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 with Service Pack 2 is sufficient.

Internet Information Services If writing XML applications, see System Requirements for the IIS Virtual Directory Management for SQL Server Utility.

Network Software Requirements

Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows Me, Windows 98, and Windows 95 have built-in network software. Additional network software is required only if you are using Banyan VINES or AppleTalk ADSP. Novel NetWare IPX/SPX client support is provided by the NWLink protocol of Windows Networking.

Note  TCP/IP must be enabled at the operating system level before installing SQL Server 2000. For more information, see Network Libraries.

Supported Clients

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 supports the following clients: Windows NT Workstation, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 98, Windows 95, Apple Macintosh®, OS/2, and UNIX. Macintosh, OS/2, and UNIX do not support the SQL Server graphical tools and require ODBC client software from a third-party vendor.

Considerations for Other Microsoft Products

The following Microsoft products require Service Release or Service Packs to operate correctly with SQL Server 2000.

Access 2000

Microsoft Access 2000 requires the installation of either Microsoft Office 2000 Service Release 1 (SR1) or Access 2000 SR1 to operate correctly with SQL Server 2000. If running an earlier version of Access 2000, you cannot test automatic data processing (ADP) applications against SQL Server 2000. You cannot access database diagrams, stored procedures, table designs, or view designs.

Other issues to be addressed in a future Access Service Release:

  • When you run Access 2000 with SR1, you can test ADP applications. You can also alter database diagrams, stored procedures, table designs, or view designs, but you cannot save any changes. A future Access Service Release will allow limited ability to save changes.

  • The Access 2000 Create Database Wizard cannot successfully create a SQL Server 2000 database. You can work around this by first creating the database using SQL Server Enterprise Manager, and then creating an ADP for the database using the Project (Existing Database) option on the New dialog box in Access 2000.

  • The Access 2000 Upsizing Wizard does not support upsizing to SQL Server 2000. You can work around this by using Data Transformation Services in the Enterprise Manager to import your MDB database file into SQL Server. You can then rename your MDB tables and create linked tables to the resulting SQL Server database with the same names as your original MDB table names.
Visual Studio 6.0

When you run Microsoft Visual Studio® 6.0, you cannot access database diagrams, stored procedures, table designs, or view designs in SQL Server 2000. Visual Studio 6.0 Service Pack 4 allows you to alter database diagrams, stored procedures, table designs, or view designs, but you cannot save them. A future Visual Studio Service Pack will allow a limited ability to save changes.

The SQL Server 2000 tools cannot access database diagrams saved using the design tools in Visual Studio 6.0 until you have modified the dtproperties table in the database. For more information, see Backward Compatibility.

See Also

Editions of SQL Server 2000

SQL Server 2000: Editions and Components

Operating Systems Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2000