Determine which version and edition of SQL Server Database Engine is running
This article describes the procedures to determine the version and edition of SQL Server Database Engine that is running.
Original product version: SQL Server
Original KB number: 321185
To determine the version of SQL Server, you can use any of the following methods.
Note
The version information follows the major.minor.build.revision pattern. The "revision" information is typically not used when checking the version of SQL Server.
Method 1: Connect to the server by using SQL Server Management Studio
Connect to the server by using Object Explorer in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). Once connected, the version information will be displayed in parentheses, along with the username used to connect to the specific instance of SQL Server. For more information on how to connect to SQL Server using Object Explorer, see Connect to a SQL Server or Azure SQL Database.
Method 2: Look at the first few lines of the Errorlog file
Look at the first few lines of the Errorlog file for that instance. By default, the error log is located at Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.n\MSSQL\LOG\ERRORLOG in ERRORLOG.n files. The entries may resemble the following one:
2024-09-05 16:56:22.35 Server Microsoft SQL Server 2022 (RTM-CU14) (KB5038325) - 16.0.4135.4 (X64)
Jul 10 2024 14:09:09
Copyright (C) 2022 Microsoft Corporation
Developer Edition (64-bit) on Windows 11 Enterprise 10.0 <X64> (Build 22631: ) (Hypervisor)
This entry provides information about the product, such as version, product level, 64-bit versus 32-bit, the edition of SQL Server, and the OS version on which SQL Server is running.
Method 3: Look at the output after running the query "SELECT @@VERSION"
Connect to the instance of SQL Server, and then run the following query:
SELECT @@VERSION
Here's an example of the output of this query:
Microsoft SQL Server 2022 (RTM-CU14) (KB5038325) - 16.0.4135.4 (X64) Jul 10 2024 14:09:09 Copyright (C) 2022 Microsoft Corporation Developer Edition (64-bit) on Windows 11 Enterprise 10.0 <X64> (Build 22631: ) (Hypervisor)
From the output, you can determine the SQL Server product's version, service pack level, cumulative update level, or security update level (if applicable).
Method 4: Use the SERVERPROPERTY function
Connect to the instance of SQL Server, and then run the following query in SSMS:
SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('productversion'), SERVERPROPERTY ('productlevel'), SERVERPROPERTY ('edition')
The following results are returned:
- The product version (for example, 16.0.4135.4)
- The product level (for example, RTM)
- The edition (for example, Developer)
For example, the results resemble the following.
| Product version | Product level | Edition |
|---|---|---|
| 16.0.4135.4 | RTM | Developer Edition (64-bit) |
Note
The
SERVERPROPERTYfunction returns individual properties related to the version information, although the@@VERSIONfunction combines the output into one string. If your application requires individual property strings, you can use theSERVERPROPERTYfunction to return them instead of parsing the@@VERSIONresults.This method also works for SQL Azure Database instances. For more information, see SERVERPROPERTY (Transact-SQL).
Starting with SQL Server 2014 RTM Cumulative Update 10 and SQL Server 2014 Service Pack 1 Cumulative Update 3, additional properties have been added to the
SERVERPROPERTYstatement. For a complete list, see SERVERPROPERTY (Transact-SQL).
Method 5: Use the "Installed SQL Server features discovery report"
You can also use the Installed SQL Server features discovery report. You can find this report on the Tools page of the SQL Server Installation Center. This tool provides information about all the instances of SQL Server that are installed on the system, including client tools such as SSMS. Note that this tool can be run locally only on the system where SQL Server is installed. It can't be used to obtain information about remote servers. For more information, see Validate a SQL Server Installation.
A snapshot of a sample report is as follows:
