Sql-server – Remote connection to SQL Server 2012 Express

sql serversql-server-2012-express

To clarify this in the start. I don't have much experience with SQL Server so every help will be appreciated.

I have a task to set up some program with a SQL Server Express database which is located on a remote server. The database is, as far as I know, configured and should be working. This is the information I have to connect to the database:

IP: xx.xxx.xxx.xxx
The administrator password is 'somepassword'
The SA password is 'anotherpassword'

I think this info is incomplete because there is no username. But what worries me is that I don't get feedback that my password or username are incorrect. Instead I get the error:

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while
establishing a connection to SQL Server…

I'm using SQL Server Management Studio to connect to the database (SQL Server 2012 Express) and I added an exception in firewall for Management Studio.

And what is the difference between administrator and SA (system administrator) password?

Best Answer

The message you are receiving basically means "I can't connect to SQL Server". It can be due to a number of issues:

The SQL Server service is not running
The SQL Server instance is not configured to use TCP/IP to communicate
The database is using windows authentication and the user is not authorized or
The database is using mixed-mode authentication and the user/pass is incorrect

As for the usernames you are given, I would assume that the "administrator" username is local windows administrator of the machine SQL server is running on, and that the "sa" user is the default database administrator, that is installed when setting SQL Server to use mixed-mode authentication.

So, I would recommend to try connecting to the database using Mixed-mode authentication, with the username "sa" and the "anotherpassword" password.

Syntax:

ALTER TABLE {TABLENAME} 
ADD {COLUMNNAME} {TYPE} {NULL|NOT NULL} 
CONSTRAINT {CONSTRAINT_NAME} DEFAULT {DEFAULT_VALUE}
WITH VALUES

Example:

ALTER TABLE SomeTable
        ADD SomeCol Bit NULL --Or NOT NULL.
 CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol --When Omitted a Default-Constraint Name is autogenerated.
    DEFAULT (0)--Optional Default-Constraint.
WITH VALUES --Add if Column is Nullable and you want the Default Value for Existing Records.

Notes:

Optional Constraint Name:
If you leave out CONSTRAINT D_SomeTable_SomeCol then SQL Server will autogenerate
a Default-Contraint with a funny Name like: DF__SomeTa__SomeC__4FB7FEF6

Optional With-Values Statement:
The WITH VALUES is only needed when your Column is Nullable
and you want the Default Value used for Existing Records.
If your Column is NOT NULL, then it will automatically use the Default Value
for all Existing Records, whether you specify WITH VALUES or not.

How Inserts work with a Default-Constraint:
If you insert a Record into SomeTable and do not Specify SomeCol's value, then it will Default to 0.
If you insert a Record and Specify SomeCol's value as NULL (and your column allows nulls),
then the Default-Constraint will not be used and NULL will be inserted as the Value.

Notes were based on everyone's great feedback below.
Special Thanks to:
@Yatrix, @WalterStabosz, @YahooSerious, and @StackMan for their Comments.

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, @your_date))

for example

SELECT DATEADD(dd, 0, DATEDIFF(dd, 0, GETDATE()))

gives me

2008-09-22 00:00:00.000

Pros:

No varchar<->datetime conversions required
No need to think about locale

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Sql – Add a column with a default value to an existing table in SQL Server

Syntax:

Example:

Notes:

Sql – How to return only the Date from a SQL Server DateTime datatype

Related Topic