Using SQL Native Client

SQL Native Client is a data access technology that is new to Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition (SQL Server Express). This provider simplifies redistribution of your SQL Server Express-enabled applications, but might require that some older MSDE-enabled applications be updated.

What is SQL Native Client?

SQL Native Client is a stand-alone data access API that is used for both OLE DB and ODBC. SQL Native Client provides a simplified method of gaining native data access to SQL Server by using either OLE DB or ODBC. By combining OLE DB and ODBC technologies into one library, it provides a way to innovate and evolve new data access features without changing the current MDAC components, which are now part of the Microsoft Windows platform.

For more information about SQL Native Client, see SQL Native Client Programming in the SQL Server 2005 Books Online.

SQL Native Client and MDAC

There are a number of differences between SQL Native Client and MDAC. Although both provide native data access to SQL Server databases, SQL Native Client has been specifically designed to use the new features of SQL Server 2005 and SQL Server Express, while at the same time maintaining backwards compatibility with earlier versions of SQL Server and MSDE.

Updating Existing MSDE Clients

If you have an existing native application that communicates with MSDE by using OLE DB or ODBC, you will need to do one of the following to get the application to work with SQL Server Express:

• Enable the TCP/IP protocol and start the SQL Server Browser service. For more information, see Enabling Network Access to SQL Server Express.
  -Or-
• Update the application code to use the SQL Native Client provider.

See Also

Concepts

Protocols Supported by SQL Server Express
Using SQL Server Browser

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance