How to Use the SQL Server Client Configuration Tool

The SQL Server Client Configuration tool is used to configure the client tool (except the DOS-based client tool) so that it can successfully communicate with SQL Server. This program should be run after the client tool is loaded. In most cases, you do not need to run these programs, because the default settings work in most network configurations. However, if the client software cannot communicate with SQL Server, you can use this tool to correctly configure the client software so that it can communicate with SQL Server.
The content of this article is divided into four parts. The first part describes how to start the client Configuration tool, and the other three parts describes some options provided in the three interfaces of the Configuration tool.
1. How to start the client Configuration Tool

In most cases, the client Configuration tool and other client tools are installed on your workstation together. If you do not install the tool but need it now, you must install it before starting the program following the steps below.
1) if you are using an NT Server or workstation for work, you should use an account with administrator permissions to log on. If you are using a Windows 95/98 desktop operating system, you can use any valid account to log on.
2) Make sure that no other program is running before starting the Configuration tool. If there are other open programs, close them before proceeding to the next step.
3) Click the "Start" button, click "Programs", then click "Microsoft SQL Server" (contains the program group name of the tool), and click "Client Configuration Utility ".
4) The "SQL Server Client Configuration Utility" dialog box appears. The dialog box contains three forms, which split the three main options. The following sections describe these three options.

2. DB Link Library Configuration
The database link database form is mainly used to determine whether the client has installed the latest database link library. The Version information is displayed in the "Version Statistics" section of the interface. You should be using a version included in SQL Server 6.5. If you have used a service package or another method to upgrade these files, you should be using the updated version.
If the client currently used has never been installed with any version of the client tool, only the unique client tool Version determined by the client tool installed this time should be used on this client. If there are old database linked library files on this workstation, delete these files to avoid conflicts between them and new versions. In this case, files of different versions are installed in different directories.
You can click the "Locate" button to check whether an old Database Connection Library file exists on your computer. After you press this button, the program will check the computer's hard disk and locate the files of the new version and all old versions. If you find any files of earlier versions, you can write down their locations and then delete them using the resource manager.
At the top of the DB link database form is the configuration option of the DB link database. In general, you do not need to modify these options. The default settings are listed below:
■ Automatic ANSI to OEM (automatically converts the ANSI character set to the OEM Character Set): When this option is selected, the DB Link Library converts the OEM (original device manufacturer) characters to ANSI when the client communicates with SQL Server, the ANSI character is converted to the OEM format during communication between the SQL Server and the client. This option usually needs to be selected, because the character set used by SQL Server is likely to be different from the character set used by the client operating system. This option can be automatically converted between character sets after it is selected. If the client runs Windows NT or Windows 95/98, this option should be selected. If the client uses Windows 3.x, this option should not be selected.
■ Use International Settings: When this option is selected, the DB Linked database obtains the date, time, and currency format from the local operating system, the format specified by hard encoding is not used. If the client is running Windows NT or Windows 95/98, select this option.
3. Network Connection Library Configuration
The Network Connection Library form consists of the Network Connection Library configuration and version information. The version information section displays the version of the currently used network link library file. Like DB linked library files, you usually want to use the latest version of network linked library files.
When installing SQL Server, you must specify to install one or more network connection libraries. This component is used to establish a network connection between SQL Server and client software. Although you can install and run more than one network link library on SQL Server, the client can only load and activate one network link library file at the same time. To enable the client to communicate with SQL Server over the network, both the SQL Server and the client must run the same network link library. Otherwise, the client cannot communicate with each other.
By default, the named pipe network link library is installed for the client tool. Assume that the named pipeline is used on SQL Server, and the client can communicate with SQL Server without any changes. For some reason, if you decide not to run the named pipeline on SQL Server, You must select a network link library that matches the network link library running on SQL Server for the client.
If the client operating system you are using is not Windows NT or Windows 95/98, you may have to select another Network Connection Library, such as Banyan VINES or NWLink IPX/SPX Network Connection Library. In this case, make sure that the same network connection library runs on SQL Server.
Choosing the correct network-connected database may be confusing for many database administrators. The choice is based on how the client communicates with SQL Server over the network. This problem is complicated because there are many communication methods between the client and the Server application. The most important thing to choose the correct Network Connection Library is to consult the person who develops your SQL Server Client/Server application. Applications written by developers are likely to run on a specific network connection library. In this case, you should use the network connection library required to run the application.
4. Advanced Configuration
The advanced configuration form in the client Configuration tool is rarely used. In this form, you can set the client software to send a specific configuration string to SQL Server when attempting to connect to SQL Server. Unless you are an SQL Server developer, you may never need to use this option.