November 13, 2007 at 1:39 pm
We have a large enterprise and need to find out what our inventory of SQL Server instances are. However, we have the full range of versions, as well as a massive quantities of MSDE. I have not found any efficient method of using SMS to gather the information of our SQL Server instances, without including all the MSDE instances.
I have also looked at using a SMS report of all machines with "sqlservr.exe" and then sorting on version according to a Microsoft article (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321185). However, the SMS report shows version numbers for SQL versions older than 2000 that do not match up with this article.
Anyone know a better way?
November 26, 2007 at 11:09 am
We've scanned for service accounts, but that might not help with Express/MSDE.
The only good way is to get a list from SMS, then connect to each instance and run select @@version. Thats' assuming you can connect to all instances as a domain admin.
November 27, 2007 at 11:30 am
I have one word to say: SQLRecon - it makes SMS look like a toddler in the pros when doing a SQL Server Inventory.
A word of advise, you should be a Domain Admin to make sure you get everything.
Oh, it is free too !
Here it is: http://www.specialopssecurity.com/labs/sqlrecon/1.0/down.php
RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."
November 27, 2007 at 11:52 am
This looks like a good tool. However, 1) my company's enterprise security would never allow a scanning type of application to be used across the network*, and 2) my testing shows inconsistent results where it fails to identify some machines at different times and the results still don't help me filter out true SQL Server instances from MSDE.
*SMS is our network management and inventory tool, so that is what I have to use.
Thanks,
Chris
November 27, 2007 at 12:13 pm
SQLRecon does differentiate between MSDE and full SQL 2000 instances and between SQLEXPRESS and full SQL 2005 instances. As for scanning on the network, this tool is highly innocuous. I am very sure after you let your network team look at and play with the tool they will be satisfied that it does no harm. My guess is that you could run it from your desktop and scan a subnet, say 10.10.77.1 through 10.10.77.254, in about 5 minutes. This tool is actually far less invasive and network hungry than SMS !
RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."
November 27, 2007 at 12:26 pm
What about using sqlbrowser.exe?
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