Alpesh Nakar – SharePoint Consultant's Blog

This is fifth in the series – MOSS Scripted Installation.

In previous posts, I wrote about pre-requisites and a brief overview on config.xml. Next we saw, how MOSS 2007 could be installed silently with SQL Server 2005 Express Edition.

It was a small step. This post is about allowing remote connections to SQL Server 2005 Express Edition. If you ever need to move sql database, attach pre-configured database or detach existing database, you will need to enable remote connections in sql server 205 express edition. It is disabled by default.

You can do this using SQL Server Area Configuration.

Configuring SQL Server Area Configuration for remote connections

To do this, follow these steps:

1.Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2005, point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Surface Area Configuration.

2.On the SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration page, click Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections.

3.On the Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections page, expand Database Engine, click Remote Connections, click Local and remote connections, click the appropriate protocol to enable for your environment, and then click Apply.
Note Click OK when you receive the following message:

Changes to Connection Settings will not take effect until you restart the Database Engine service.

4.On the Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections page, expand Database Engine, click Service, click Stop, wait until the MSSQLSERVER service stops, and then click Start to restart the MSSQLSERVER service.

Enabling SQL Browser Service

Additionally, you need to enable the SQL Browser Service to make remote connections.

Warning These steps may increase your security risk. These steps may also make your computer or your network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses.

1.Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2005, point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Surface Area Configuration.

2.On the SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration page, click Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections.

3.On the Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections page, click SQL Server Browser, click Automatic for Startup type, and then click Apply.
Note When you click the Automatic option, the SQL Server Browser service starts automatically every time that you start Microsoft Windows.

4.Click Start, and then click OK.

These are manual steps. If you want to script both these steps, watch out for the next post.

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