SQL Server Configuration Manager

The SQL Server Configuration Manager is a tool used to manage services associated with SQL Server, configure the network protocols used by SQL Server, and manage network connection configurations from the SQL Server Client Computer. The SQL Server Configuration Manager is a Microsoft management unit that can be accessed from the Start Menu or added to any other Microsoft Management console display. On the Microsoft console (mmc.exe), use the sqlservermanager. msc file in the Windows system32 folder to open the SQL Server Configuration Manager. The SQL Server Configuration Manager integrates the following functions of SQL Server 2000: SERVER network utility, client network utility, and service manager.

SQL Server Configuration Manager and SQL Server Management studio use Windows Management Instrumentation (Wmi) to view and modify some server settings. WMI provides a unified method for connecting to APIs that manage registry operations requested by SQL Server, it also provides enhanced control and operations for the SQL service selected by the SQL Server Configuration Manager Management Unit component. For information about WMI-related configuration permissions, see how to configure WMI in SQL Server to display the server status.

To use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to start, stop, pause, recover, or configure services on another computer, see how to connect to another computer (SQL Server Configuration Manager ).

Management Service

You can use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to start, pause, resume, or stop services, and view or change service properties.

Change the account used by the Service

You can use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to manage SQL Server services.

Important:

Always use SQL server tools (such as SQL Server Configuration Manager) to change the account used by SQL Server or SQL Server proxy service, or change the account password. In addition to changing the account name, the SQL Server Configuration Manager can also execute other configurations, such as setting permissions in the Windows registry so that new accounts can read SQL server settings. Other tools (such as Windows Service Control Manager) can change the account name, but cannot change the associated settings. If the service cannot access the SQL Server Section of the Registry, the Service may not start properly.

 

Another advantage is that the password changed using the SQL Server Configuration Manager, SMO, or WMI takes effect immediately without restarting the service.

Manage server and client network protocols

You can use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to configure the network protocol and connection options of the server and client. After you use the peripheral application configurator to enable the correct protocol, you do not need to change the server network connection. However, if you need to reconfigure the server connection so that SQL server can listen to specific network protocols, ports, or pipelines, you can use the SQL Server Configuration Manager.

You can use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to manage network protocols between servers and clients, including forced protocol encryption, viewing alias attributes, or enabling/disabling protocols.

You can use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to create or delete aliases, change the protocol sequence, or view server alias attributes, including:

• Server alias: the server alias of the computer to which the client is connected.
• Protocol-the network protocol used to configure entries.
• Connection parameter -- the parameter associated with the connection address used for network protocol configuration.

Although some operations (such as starting and stopping services) should use the Cluster Manager, you can also use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to view information about the Failover cluster instance. For more information, see use the SQL Server tool in the Failover group.

Available network protocols

SQL Server 2005 supports shared memory, TCP/IP, named pipes, and via protocols. For information on network protocol selection, see network protocol selection. SQL Server 2005 does not support Banyan vines Sequential Packet protocol (SPP), multi-protocol, appletalk, and nwlink IPX/SPX network protocols. Clients that previously used these protocols must select other protocols to connect to SQL Server 2005. You cannot use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to configure the Winsock Proxy. To configure the Winsock Proxy, see the ISA server documentation.