Setting Up Server Connections

By default, SQL Server client/server connections are established over named pipes using dynamic server names that require no special configuration on the clients. (You can connect using named pipes over any Microsoft-supplied transport, including NWLink IPX/SPX, TCP/IP, and NetBEUI.)

If you need to connect to a SQL Server using another network transport that is not the default, or if you need to connect to a SQL Server that is listening on an alternate named pipe, you must first add the connection information to the appropriate configuration file on the client.

For Windows NT - and Windows 95-based clients, connection information is stored in the Registry.
For Windows-based clients, connection information is stored in the WIN.INI file.
For MS-DOS - based clients, connection information can be set using environment variables, depending on the Net-Library in use.

For Windows NT-, Windows 95, and Windows-based clients, you set up server connections by using the SQL Client Configuration Utility, which updates the appropriate information on the client.

Note Advanced connection information can be shared by both DB-Library and ODBC applications. If the server name specified in the ODBC SQL Server dialog box matches a server name configured using the Advanced tab of the SQL Client Configuration Utility, and if the ODBC network address and network library remain set to default, then the connection information shown in the Advanced tab of the SQL Client Configuration Utility is used by ODBC.

To set up server connections on a Windows NT- or Windows 95-based client

Start the SQL Client Configuration Utility as described in Starting the Client Configuration Utility, earlier in this chapter.
The SQL Client Configuration Utility window appears.
Choose the Advanced tab.
In the Server box, enter the name of the server. This is the name of the server you are using in DB-Library applications such as isql. The name does not need to match a network server name.
In the DLL Name box, select the name of the Net-Library (for example, Named Pipes) from the list.
Or you can type the name of a Net-Library DLL to use for the connection. (Do not type the ".DLL" filename extension.) Net-Library DLL choices are listed in "Setting the Default Net-Library," earlier in this chapter.
In the Connection String box, you can enter additional connection information as required. If no connection string is entered, the server name is used.
For information on the type of connection information that can be entered in this box for each Net-Library, see Network Client Connections.
Choose the Add/Modify button.
Choose the Done button.

To set up server connections on a Windows-based client

From the SQL Server Tools program group, double-click the SQL Client Configuration Utility icon.
The SQL Client Configuration Utility window appears.
Choose the Advanced button.
The Advanced Client Options dialog box appears.
In the Server box, enter the name of the server. This is the name of the server you are using in DB-Library applications such as isql. The name does not need to match a network server name.
In the DLL Name box, type the name of a Net-Library DLL to use for the connection.
Net-Library DLL choices are listed in "Setting the Default Net-Library," earlier in this chapter.
In the Connection String box, enter additional connection information as required. For example, to establish TCP/IP sockets connections without using DNS or WINS, enter the TCP/IP address and port, such as:
```
11.1.4.68,1433
```
For information on the type of connection information that can be entered in this box for each Net-Library, see Network Client Connections.
Choose the Add/Change button.
Choose the OK button.
Choose the Done button.

For MS-DOS - based clients, you set up server connections by setting an environment variable. Typically, this involves changing the client's AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

For MS-DOS - based clients using the named pipes Net-Library (DBNMPIPE.EXE), you can set up a connection to use alternate pipe names by assigning an environment variable equal to the fully qualified pipe name. For example:

set servername = \\myserver\pipe\altpipe\query

You must set this variable before you load the Net-Library TSR. Other Net-Libraries for MS-DOS supplied by Microsoft do not support server aliases using environment variables. For Net-Libraries supplied by companies other than Microsoft, see your package documentation.