Best SQL Server Edition for a offline application

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Best SQL Server Edition for a offline application

MTY-1082557

SSCarpal Tunnel

Points: 4540
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May 17, 2010 at 10:28 am

#156958

I need an advice. We have an application where the data is storage on SQL Server Enterprise Edition Database. Our end users need to work out of the office sometimes and do the work locally on their laptops. We dont want to install a full version of SQL to every user's laptop. We need a version to support the storage of data and run the stored procedures that need to use for their work.
We will control the sync between the local machine and the Production database when the user is located in the office.
What is the best software/version to use on the End User's laptops and be able to still use the system without full installation of SQL Server.
Thank you in advance !

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004432 More actions · Answer 1

Depending on what features of the Enterprise Edition you have used, there may not be much of a choice. My recommendation is for your network folks to setup a Citrix system where the portables can log into either a "sandbox" system to get access, or the employee's desktop system (if they have one). The only other recourse is if the folks with portables are Developers doing development work in which case they can legally use the Developer's edition.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Leo.Miller SSChampion Points: 13051 More actions · Answer 2

It also depends on what the users are doing. Is it possible for them to use SQL Express? It's free!

If it's just an app connecting to a database and you don't need things like Managment Studio etc., Express would work as long as the DB is less than 4GB for SQL 2005, less than 10GB for SQL 2008 R2 - Express Edition.

It also depends on how you are replicatiing the data to the user's laptops. Express can be a subscriber, but can't be a publisher, so you can't use merge replication.

If Express or Developer (for development only) won't do, your next option is Standard Edition. This needs to be licensed, but you could look at CAL licensing rather than per CPU as it may be cheaper. The minimum number of CALs you can buy was always 5 (I think it still is) but on most laptops you would need to buy 1 CPU license.

Leo

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Dave Ballantyne SSC-Dedicated Points: 33667 More actions · Answer 3

Have you considered compact edition ?

http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2005/en/us/compact.aspx

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adrian.saunders SSCommitted Points: 1517 More actions · Answer 4

Problably best to use CE and setup a merge/replication between them and the SQLEE server.

Its a bit tricky to setup though

MTY-1082557 SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4540 More actions · Answer 5

Thank you all,

My end user is not our developers, are the users that manage the application. I'm thinking about the Express Edition. I never heard about the compact one. I want to take at look to that one to see what is better for us.

The way that we will replicate will be manual because as soon as the end user back to the office, we need to review his/her work and then just save it into the production database (this is all manage with some tool in on our application)

thank you again and more advices are very welcome

adrian.saunders SSCommitted Points: 1517 More actions · Answer 6

then you want to check out subscripion and publication Replication

MTY-1082557 SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4540 More actions · Answer 7

Definitely, SQL Express Edition is the best solution for us.

Thank you everyone

Steve Jones - SSC Editor SSC Guru Points: 736568 More actions · Answer 8

I'd agree on Express. CE doesn't have stored procs, which is an issue.

Good luck with the replication. It can be tricky, and the more you can limit what data can change (horizontally or vertically) the better off you'll be.

MTY-1082557 SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4540 More actions · Answer 9

Thank you Steve. I will pay attention to that.

and Yes, we need to run some procs so CE is not our solution. 😉

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004432 More actions · Answer 10

MTY-1082557 (5/18/2010)
Thank you all,
My end user is not our developers, are the users that manage the application. I'm thinking about the Express Edition. I never heard about the compact one. I want to take at look to that one to see what is better for us.
The way that we will replicate will be manual because as soon as the end user back to the office, we need to review his/her work and then just save it into the production database (this is all manage with some tool in on our application)
thank you again and more advices are very welcome

Again, though, you have to be a wee bit careful because you said you were using the Enterprise Edition on the pord box. Make sure that none of the "Enterprise Only" features will be required on the portables because the Express Edition won't handle them.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

MTY-1082557 SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4540 More actions · Answer 11

Thank you Jeff,

we are watching that righ now. We just need to run some procs to populate some tables and then "sync". We will see what exactly will/wont work.

Reagards,