Effective installation of SQL Server

Microsoft always tries to make its software installation as simple as possible, and the installation of SQL Server 2000 is no exception. You start Setupsql.exe from the X86setup folder of the installation CD, fill in some details in the installation dialog box, and within a few minutes, the installation will continue without user intervention. You can even successfully install SQL Server 2000 without knowing what those choices mean-just click "Next" in most of the installation dialog boxes. However, I strongly recommend that you do not take the installation so lightly, pay attention to each option and ensure that you fully understand the impact of each choice you make. Some poor decisions, such as bad collation settings, can be difficult to fix; others, such as accepting the default authentication mode, may create a security vulnerability.

Let's look at some key points about standard installation, including instance configuration, security, collation, and network libraries. Then let's explore advanced options for unattended and Remote installation.

Instance

When you start the installation, you often perform a standard installation (as opposed to a remote or unattended installation). You invoke the Setupsql.exe program to start the Installation wizard. After the first two dialogs--Welcome and machine name--you will need to choose your instance configuration. SQL Server 2000 supports the installation of multiple instances of SQL Server on a single machine. Setup displays two dialog boxes to give you the option to install the instance.

First, the Installation Selection dialog box shows you whether you want to install a new instance or upgrade an existing installation. If you choose to install a new instance, you will see the Instance Name dialog box displayed. You can specify an instance name or select default to install a default instance if the default instance is not installed on the machine.

There are a few things you need to consider when making a choice about installing an instance. If there is no default instance on the machine and you intend to use SQL Server 2000 and 7.0 on the same machine, make sure you do not install SQL Server 2000 as the default instance. SQL Server 7.0 does not support named instances, so it must be a default instance. In addition to uninstalling and reinstalling SQL Server, you cannot change the named instance to the default instance or vice versa. You also cannot change the instance name after the instance is installed. However, you can install SQL Server 2000 after you install 7.0―― if you have not installed a default instance.

If a SQL Server 7.0 installation already exists, you can upgrade it-by selecting the upgrade path in the Installation Selection dialog box and stating in the latter dialog that you want to upgrade the default instance. However, SQL Server 2000 will be the default instance, and SQL Server 7.0 will no longer exist on this machine. To be retained for all two versions, install SQL Server 2000 as a named instance.

After you install SQL Server 2000, you can use Backup and restore, detach and connect, Data Transformation Services, or the Copy Database Wizard to transfer the SQL Server 7.0 database to SQL Server 2000. Note that when you upgrade a previous version to SQL Server 2000, whichever way you choose, you cannot specify more than one installation for the same copy of the database, so each installation must maintain its own copy of each database.

Another consideration relates to the feature that SQL Server 7.0 is called "version switching", which allows SQL Server 7.0 to coexist with SQL Server 6.5 on the same machine. However, at the same time only one installation can be active and the other is static. When you call version control, it activates the static installation and makes the active one stop active. If the machine includes an installation of SQL Server 6.5-it does not coexist in version control and SQL Server 7.0, the installer requires you to select one of two options: Upgrade SQL Server 6.5 to SQL Server The default instance of 2000 and maintain a version control between two versions; upgrade to a named instance of SQL Server 2000. Unlike upgrading from SQL Server 7.0-it covers the current installation, 6.5 of the installation remains on the computer-no matter what path you choose to upgrade to 2000.

If both 7.0 and 6.5 are installed and are in version control in the same machine, and you do not want to upgrade an existing installation, you can safely install 2000 of the named instances on the same machine and use all three versions on the same computer. However, with version control, only one version can run while all named instances can run concurrently.

After explaining your instance options, we come to the installation Type dialog.

Custom Installation

In the Installation Type dialog box, the Setup wizard requires you to choose between 3 installation types: Typical, minimal, and custom. If you choose typical or minimal, SQL Server uses default options for components and subcomponents, collations, and network libraries. Because a typical installation can potentially cause tricky problems, I strongly recommend always choosing customizations-even if you think the default meets your installation requirements. Some of the previously mentioned options-especially collation-are very difficult to change after installation if you find that the requirements are not met. Custom installation lets you check those options again.