What are my best SQL Server options for a small application like this ?

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What are my best SQL Server options for a small application like this ?

davidsim

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October 8, 2015 at 6:16 pm

#305371

My company has a small application that uses SQL Server, the application is used only for a few months every four years, next year (2016) will be the year it gets used again. Every four years we do minor upgrades to the application (Word application primarily, using lots of VBA to do various document manipulations and storing related details in the database) to ensure it still works and fits in to the current environment (e.g. O/S, security, etc.). The application has just 6 or fewer users during it's use, the data volume is extremely low (just a few thousand records) but very important to the success of the application per se.
In previous years, the SQL Server database (SQL Server 2000) was installed on a dedicated server, hooked to the Company network, with all the necessary compliances (e.g. patches, security, etc.). However there is no longer a server we can use (money issues), instead the company would like to install the applicable version of SQL Server, along with the application's database, on a single/central dedicated laptop on the network, then have the users (6 or less people) run the Word application on their own laptops (each with their own copy of the Word application) connected to the central SQL Server database on the shared laptop.
Does this all sound feasible? Is there a particular version/type of the MS SQL Server database product that would be best suited to this small, low volume, application as described? I assume a full blown version of MS SQL Server would not be required, that there may be a lite version of the product that would suffice, perhaps I am wrong misguided.
Are there any pitfalls we may run in too as such?
Any guidance here would be appreciated.

Viewing 8 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

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pietlinden SSC Guru Points: 63503 More actions · Answer 1

If you're using the database primarily for storage, you could probably get by with SQL Server Express, which is free. I would suggest downloading Ola Hallengren's scripts to manage backups so that your databases get backed up in case of disaster/data loss.

davidsim Valued Member Points: 55 More actions · Answer 2

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

I forgot to mention that the database has a dozen or so simple Stored Procedures, would the Express version accommodate them too ?

arr.nagaraj SSCertifiable Points: 6528 More actions · Answer 3

Yes stored procs are of course supported in express

Regards,
Raj

http://Strictlysql.blogspot.com

pietlinden SSC Guru Points: 63503 More actions · Answer 4

Here's a grid showing the differences... well, some of them:

http://www.fmsinc.com/MicrosoftAccess/SQLServerUpsizing/express/index.html

So it kind of depends on what you need SQL Server to do. The free versions are okay if you're just serving data - so no SSRS, SSIS, SSAS etc. No SQL Server Agent (that the scheduler uses for running backups on a schedule etc), but you can do that with the OS.

Gail Shaw SSC Guru Points: 1004504 More actions · Answer 5

pietlinden (10/8/2015)
I would suggest downloading Ola Hallengren's scripts to manage backups so that your databases get backed up in case of disaster/data loss.

Ola's scripts create jobs, and Express does not have SQL Agent, so it's not quite so easy.

Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability

We walk in the dark places no others will enter
We stand on the bridge and no one may pass

Kristen-173977 SSCrazy Eights Points: 8687 More actions · Answer 6

I don't think that backwards compatibility for SQL 2000 is still supported. So it might be that your code behaves "differently" in some subtle way with a newer version. Chances are good that it will be fine, but you might want to test just in case.

You will also have issues restoring a SQL 2000 database to the latest version of SQL. Latest version that you can restore SQL 2000 backup to is, I think, SQL 2008. So you would need a SQL 2008 version of SQL to make the restore. I would suggest that you do that, backup again, and then restore to the latest version of SQL (2014 or perhaps 2016 by the time you do this), otherwise in 4 years time the problem is going to be even more difficult 🙁

davidsim Valued Member Points: 55 More actions · Answer 7

Thanks very much everyone for being so kind to reply, I have lots of information now to consider/digest that will help me with my quest.

I wish everyone well.