Windows Internal Database
Encyclopedia
Windows Internal Database (codenamed WYukon, sometimes referred to as SQL Server Embedded Edition) is a variant of SQL Server Express
2005 that is included with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2
, and is included with other free Microsoft
products released after 2007 that require an SQL Server database backend. Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Windows Server Update Services
3.0 both include Windows Internal Database, which can be used as an alternative to using a retail edition of SQL Server. WID is a 32-bit application, even as component of Windows Server 2008 64-bit, which installs in the path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server.
Windows Internal Database is not available as a standalone product for use by end-user applications; Microsoft provides SQL Server Express and Microsoft SQL Server
for this purpose. Additionally, it is designed to only be accessible to Windows Service
s running on the same machine.
Several components of Windows Server 2008 use Windows Internal Database for their data storage: Active Directory Rights Management Services, Windows System Resource Manager
, UDDI Services
, Active Directory Federation Services
2.0, and Windows SharePoint Services. On Windows Server 2003, SharePoint and Windows Server Update Services
will install Windows Internal Database and use it as a default data store if a retail SQL Server database instance is not provided. A Knowledge Base article published by Microsoft states that Windows Internal Database does not identify itself as a removable component, and provides instructions how it may be uninstalled by calling Windows Installer
directly.
SQL Server Management Studio Express can be used to connect to an instance of Windows Internal Database using
SQL Server Express
Microsoft SQL Server Express, a freely downloadable and distributable version of Microsoft's SQL Server relational database management system, comprises a database specifically targeted for embedded and smaller-scale applications.- Capabilities :...
2005 that is included with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008 R2 is a server operating system produced by Microsoft. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009 and launched on October 22, 2009. According to the Windows Server Team blog, the retail availability was September 14, 2009. It is built on Windows NT 6.1, the same core...
, and is included with other free Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
products released after 2007 that require an SQL Server database backend. Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 and Windows Server Update Services
Windows Server Update Services
- External links :* * * – contains many detailed documents on WSUS operation, known issues, and troubleshooting* - German WSUS-Community * - Control installation of WSUS updates from command line...
3.0 both include Windows Internal Database, which can be used as an alternative to using a retail edition of SQL Server. WID is a 32-bit application, even as component of Windows Server 2008 64-bit, which installs in the path C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server.
Windows Internal Database is not available as a standalone product for use by end-user applications; Microsoft provides SQL Server Express and Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database server, developed by Microsoft: It is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications, be it those on the same computer or those running on another computer across a network...
for this purpose. Additionally, it is designed to only be accessible to Windows Service
Windows Service
On Microsoft Windows operating systems, a Windows service is a long-running executable that performs specific functions and which is designed not to require user intervention. Windows services can be configured to start when the operating system is booted and run in the background as long as...
s running on the same machine.
Several components of Windows Server 2008 use Windows Internal Database for their data storage: Active Directory Rights Management Services, Windows System Resource Manager
Windows System Resource Manager
Windows System Resource Manager is a component of Microsoft's Windows Server 2008/2003 operating systems that provides resource management and enables the allocation of resources, including processor and memory resources, among multiple applications based on business priorities...
, UDDI Services
Universal Description Discovery and Integration
Universal Description, Discovery and Integration is a platform-independent, Extensible Markup Language -based registry for businesses worldwide to list themselves on the Internet and a mechanism to register and locate web service applications...
, Active Directory Federation Services
Active Directory Federation Services
Active Directory Federation Services is a software component developed by Microsoft that can be installed on Windows Server operating systems to provide users with Single Sign-On access to systems and applications located across organizational boundaries...
2.0, and Windows SharePoint Services. On Windows Server 2003, SharePoint and Windows Server Update Services
Windows Server Update Services
- External links :* * * – contains many detailed documents on WSUS operation, known issues, and troubleshooting* - German WSUS-Community * - Control installation of WSUS updates from command line...
will install Windows Internal Database and use it as a default data store if a retail SQL Server database instance is not provided. A Knowledge Base article published by Microsoft states that Windows Internal Database does not identify itself as a removable component, and provides instructions how it may be uninstalled by calling Windows Installer
Windows Installer
The Windows Installer is a software component used for the installation, maintenance, and removal of software on modern Microsoft Windows systems...
directly.
SQL Server Management Studio Express can be used to connect to an instance of Windows Internal Database using
\\.\pipe\MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE\sql\query as instance name. But this will only work locally, as Remote Connections cannot be enabled for this edition of SQL Server. Also note that "Windows Authentication" should be used (as opposed to SQL Server Authentication), and administrators seem to have the best results of authenticating successfully when logged on using the same administrative account that was created when Windows was installed.