Installing SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

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Installing SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

SQL_Hunt

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January 13, 2017 at 6:57 am

#317584

Hello,
While installing SQL Server 2016, I found that the SSMS was not installed. I had to download SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe from the Installation tab in the SQL Server Installation Center screen. It was earlier till 2014 was bundled in the existing SQL Install.
Can you suggest if this is a new requirement to get it separately? Or is this just a new enhancement?
Thanks.

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John Mitchell-245523 SSC Guru Points: 148809 More actions · Answer 1

Well, you decide whether you want to call it a requirement or an enhancement! But yes, from 2016 SSMS is no longer bundled in the server product, but instead is a available as a separate free download.

John

SQL_Hunt SSC-Dedicated Points: 33518 More actions · Answer 2

John Mitchell-245523 - Friday, January 13, 2017 7:03 AM
Well, you decide whether you want to call it a requirement or an enhancement! But yes, from 2016 SSMS is no longer bundled in the server product, but instead is a available as a separate free download.
John

Thanks John. Little bit confusing as from high level do not see any benefit.

Thanks.

John Mitchell-245523 SSC Guru Points: 148809 More actions · Answer 3

Here's some benefits I can see:
(1) If you want to install client tools on a server (which I think is a bad idea), you have to make a conscious effort to do so;
(2) SSMS can be updated and tweaked without releasing service packs for the whole server product. I believe Microsoft are updating SSMS every month or so;
(3) You don't need the whole installation DVD (does anyone still use DVDs?) just to install SSMS.

John

Edit - sounds as if you're opting to call it a "requirement"!

Phil Parkin SSC Guru Points: 246979 More actions · Answer 4

SQL-DBA-01 - Friday, January 13, 2017 7:16 AM
John Mitchell-245523 - Friday, January 13, 2017 7:03 AM
Well, you decide whether you want to call it a requirement or an enhancement! But yes, from 2016 SSMS is no longer bundled in the server product, but instead is a available as a separate free download.
John
Thanks John. Little bit confusing as from high level do not see any benefit.

The benefit is that the development and release of the client-side management tool is decoupled from the server-side SQL Server platform.

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