How to use the SQL Server Client Configuration tool

The SQL Server Client Configuration tool is used to configure client tools (other than the DOS operating system-based client tools) so that they can successfully communicate with SQL Server. This program should run after the client tool is loaded. In most cases, you don't 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 properly configure the client software to enable it to communicate with SQL Server.

The article is divided into four parts, the first part describes how to launch the Client Configuration tool, and the remaining three sections describe the 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 the workstation you are using. If you do not install the tool but now need it, you must install the tool, and then follow these steps to start the program.

1 If you are working with an NT Server or workstation, you should log in with an account with administrator privileges. If you are using a Windows 95/98 desktop operating system, you can log in with any legal account.

2 determine that no other programs are running before the configuration tool is started. If there are other open programs, close them first before proceeding to the next step.

3 Click the Start button, click Programs, click Microsoft SQL Server (the program group name that contains the tool), and then click Client Configuration Utility.

4 The SQL Server Client Configuration Utility dialog box appears. The dialog box consists of three forms, which leave the three main options separated. These three options are described in the following sections.

2. DB link library configuration

The function of the DB link library form is primarily to determine whether the client has the latest version of the DB link library installed. Version information is displayed in the "Version Statistics" section of the interface. You should be using the version contained in SQL Server 6.5, and if you have upgraded these files using a service package or some other way, you should be using the newer version.

If the client currently in use has never installed any version of the client tool before, there should be only one client tool version determined by this installation client tool on this client. If you have an older version of the DB link library file on this workstation, you should delete the files so that they do not conflict with the new version of the file. This situation occurs when different versions of the files are installed in different directories.

You can click the Locate button to see if an older version of the DB link library file exists on the computer you are using. When the button is pressed, the program checks the computer's hard drive to locate the new version and all older versions of the file. If you find any older versions of the files, you can write down their locations and then use the Explorer to delete them.

The top of the DB link library form is the configuration option for the DB link library. In general, you do not need to modify these options. The default settings are listed below:

Automatic ANSI to OEM (automatically converts ANSI character set to OEM character set): When this option is selected, the DB link library converts OEM (original device manufacturer) characters to ANSI format when the client and SQL Server communicate, and in SQL Converts ANSI characters to OEM format when the server communicates with the client. This option is usually selected because SQL Server uses a character set that is likely to be different from the character set used by the client operating system. This option is selected to automatically convert between character sets. This option should be selected if the client is running Windows NT or Windows 95/98, and this option should not be selected if the client is using Windows 3.x.

Use International settings (using the Internationalization setting): When this option is selected, the DB link library will format the date, time, and currency from the local operating system without using the hard-coded format. This option should be selected if the client is running Windows NT or Windows 95/98.