Icons and what it means ...
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Using MS SQL Server Management Studio 2008 on my desktop to access MSSQL2000 databases.
I'm the newbie of the newbies. So, forgive me if this is ridiculously simple.
Question 1:
On SQL Server Management Studio, when I connect to a Database Engine, the left column is Object Explorer. On the Server name, some of the icon is a data cylinder with a green triangle. Some of it is an icon is a data cylinder with a white circle on it. What's the difference between the two?
Question 2:
Also, when I have a few connections to different servers, the SQLQuery tabs seems to be "stuck" on the first connection. When I say "stuck", I meant, when I execute query like
SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'),
SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY ('edition');
I always get the results of the first connection; EVEN when I have the other database instances highlighted on the Object Explorer. always get the information on the first instance, irregardless of what I highlighted in the Object Explorer.
And even when I disconnected the MSSQL2000 connections and have MSSQL2008 connection remains, when I open a NewQuery tab, I still get MSSQL2000 information. I have to close out SSMS, re-launch, connect to MSSQL2008, open NewQuery tab before I'll get the MSSQL2008 information. Is it a setting that I need to change on my SQL Server Management Studio?
Thanks!
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The green icons mean SSMS can tell that the SQL Server service is running. White means it doesn't have access to that data, so it's not sure.
Connections don't change which server they are connected to just because you click a different server/object in the object explorer. On the SSMS toolbars, there's an icon that looks like three servers, with a red X over a line between two of them. It's usually just to the left of a drop-down that says which database your connection is to.
That button allows you to change the server a connection is attached to.
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Another thing I find useful in SSMS, is use the Tools->Options->Environment, to change from "Tabbed documents", to "MDI environment".
Then you get individual "windows" for each connection, and you can see what server+database they are conected to at the top of each window. The tabs have the same data, but it's usually too long to read.
The tabbed one is useless. Just says, "SQLQuery8.sql - S...aster (DBA (105))". The MDI ("window") one is useful. Says, "SQLQuery8.sql - SQL08.master (DBA (105))".
The first bit is the file name, if you save the contents of the connection as a .sql file. Next is the server name and database. "SQL08.master" in my case. That's followed by the login, and the SPID. If the file name is too long, the tabbed environment will truncate it in the display. If the login is too long, or the database name is too long, you lose the first part of the server name. And so on. MDI will display the whole thing, up to the limits of how much room you have in the window.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
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GSquared (12/13/2012)
The green icons mean SSMS can tell that the SQL Server service is running. White means it doesn't have access to that data, so it's not sure.Great. So what do I need to do to turn on that data?
GSquared (12/13/2012)
Connections don't change which server they are connected to just because you click a different server/object in the object explorer. On the SSMS toolbars, there's an icon that looks like three servers, with a red X over a line between two of them. It's usually just to the left of a drop-down that says which database your connection is to.That button allows you to change the server a connection is attached to.
Awesome.
Another way that is probably less professional is clicking on one of the object in the new instance and opening a New Query tab. And that new tab will be for the 2nd instance in that 2nd database.
I will try the MDI. Thanks very much for your help.
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Opening a new connection that way is definitely a valid alternative. Not at all "less professional". It won't change the connection of an existing tab/window, but it will certainly allow you to connect to a different server/database.
The change-connection button is mainly useful if you want to run the same script on multiple servers, or multiple databases within a server. You don't have to copy, open a new connection, and then paste. But if you just want a fresh connection, by all means, open one.
On the green vs white bit on the icons, it's not usually something you can "turn on". For example, I get that when I connect to some servers that are in a different Windows domain than I am. SSMS can't get the status, and there's no way to get it (so far as I know). But it really doesn't matter much in my case, because it's easy enough to tell by other means if SQL is running on that server. Like connect to objects.
Unless you are regularly using SSMS to stop and start SQL Server services, it's something you can largely ignore.
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
Property of The Thread"Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon
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