difference between localhost and (local)

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difference between localhost and (local)

java_cruise

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Points: 264
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April 17, 2004 at 9:35 pm

#101963

What exactly is the difference beween localhost and (local)????
I installed Sql Server 2000 on two different machines. I followed the default installation on both (at least I'm not aware of anything that I did differently on each machine. On one machine connecting to localhost works fine but not on the second. Seeing examples that sometimes use (local) rather than localhost in the connection string I used that. Whoa, it worked !!! But why? I thought well maybe localhost did not work because there was no entry in etc/hosts. Checked that and it looked fine. Hmmm? What is going on???
The second question is how to configure so that localhost works in the second machine. And BTW this is a development machine. Many, many examples use localhost in the connection strings so that is why I want to change it from (local) which it is now to localhost.

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Johan Bijnens SSC Guru Points: 135266 More actions · Answer 1

is tcp/ip enabled to be used for sqlserver ?

If I'm correct (local) uses namedpipes

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Norman Rasmussen Ten Centuries Points: 1055 More actions · Answer 2

(local) would be a SQLServer term that referrs to the current machine. I'd expect it to use the preferred connection method (TCP/IP or Named Pipes depending on the install).

localhost is a TCP/IP term, but that doesn't force it to use TCP/IP instead of Named Pipes (just for fun)

I expect that the reason that it's not working on the Dev machine is that the sqlserver on the dev machine has either 1) TCP/IP or Named Pipes turned off, or the more likely is that there is a firewall on the dev machine (this includes RPC/Named Pipes patches that microsoft release weekly).

All-in-all you should rather be using (local) as it will work more often.

java_cruise SSC Veteran Points: 264 More actions · Answer 3

Still a mystery!!!

I installed on two machines. One installed as (local) and the other as localhost. When I look at the client network utility both looked the same, i.e. TCP/IP listed first then Named Pipes. Both have the same entry in etc/hosts. I can ping localhost on both machines sucessfully. I tried to connect via osql IT FAILS on the (local) configured sql server. However, on this same machine isql connects fine, huh! Apparently the two command line utilties connect differently.

r@st@f@R|@n Mr or Mrs. 500 Points: 531 More actions · Answer 4

try using a dot .

let us know wat happens wen u use . on both the machines.

Patrick Stadler SSC Rookie Points: 39 More actions · Answer 5

Any kind of resolution on this, becuase I am having the same issue. I cannot connect to localhost through isql, Query Analyzer or any other tool. I can connect to (local), 127.0.0.1, or with my computer name. It is really weird and I have had a couple other techies looking at, but they cannot figure it out. I am using JBoss as an app server and I cannot to that using a local DB either. All remote DB's work fine. Please help.

Thanks