Tips category – General
Cisco TMS Database Knowledge Tips
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TIP T107 – Identifying the SQL Server instance name
Cisco TMS Versions
SQL Server Versions
All
SQL 2000 – All Versions
MSDE 2000 – All Versions
SQL 2005 – All Versions
SQL 2005 Express – All Versions
If you do not know the SQL Server’s instance name, you cannot connect to it. The easiest way to find the
name of an installed named instance is to look in the Services Control Panel of the Windows Server
running the SQL Server. Start Menu->Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services
MSDE and SQL 2000 services will be named MSSQL$INSTANCENAME – The default instance is
named MSSQLSERVER
SQL 2005 and 2005 Express services will be named SQL Server(INSTANCENAME) – If there is no
name in parentheses, it is installed as the default instance
You may also use the osql utility to find local SQL instances and any remote instances that are
broadcasting their presence on the local network.
Open a command prompt on a computer with SQL Server installed or one with the SQL
Management Tools installed
Enter the command
osql –L
The command will list any servers it was able to discover
