Protocols Supported by SQL Server Express
If you are developing an application that connects to an instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express (SQL Server Express) over a network, there are several considerations you must take into account:
For security reasons, networking protocols are disabled by default in SQL Server Express. Individual protocols can be enabled manually or during installation of SQL Server Express.
SQL Server Express is typically installed as a named instance. The default name of the instance is SQLExpress.
SQL Server Browser is used by some networking protocols to associate named instances with TCP/IP port numbers. However, if SQL Server Express is installed on the same computer as a pre-SP3 version of MSDE or SQL Server 2000, there might be conflicts. Also, the SQL Server Browser service does not start automatically after installation. For more information, see SQL Server Browser Service.
The following table describes the network protocols that are supported by SQL Server Express.
Network Protocol |
Description |
If the value of DISABLENETWORKPROTOCOL=1 |
If the value of DISABLENETWORKPROTOCOL=0 |
|---|---|---|---|
Shared Memory |
Lets you connect to an instance of SQL Server that is running on the same computer. Cannot be used for access from other computers on the network. |
Enabled |
Enabled |
TCP/IP |
Permits network access to SQL Server Express by specifying the computer name and instance name or the IP address and instance name. |
Disabled |
Enabled |
Named Pipes |
Permits network access to SQL Server Express by supporting numerous network protocols, including NetBEUI, TCP/IP, and IPX/SPX. Automatically selects the network protocol based on the client configuration. |
Enabled, local only |
Enabled |
Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA) |
Used for System Area Networks, which are high-speed networks connecting servers or clusters of servers. |
Not Supported |
Not Supported |
Note
Although VIA is not supported, you can design a database that will work in a VIA environment. However, you must migrate your SQL Server Express database to SQL Server 2008 before you can use VIA.
Important
The VIA protocol is deprecated. This feature will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature.