Beginning Microsoft SQL Server 2008 ... - S3 Tech Training

Chapter 2: Tools of the Trade
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The Aliases list is a listing of all the servers on which you have defined a specific NetLib to be used when
contacting that particular server. This means that you can contact one server using IP and another using
Named Pipes — whatever you need to get to that particular server. Figure 2-5 shows a client configured
to use the Named Pipes NetLib for requests from the server named HOBBES and to use whatever is set
up as the default for contact with any other SQL Server.
Figure 2-5
Again, remember that the Client Network Configuration setting on the network machine must have a
default protocol that matches one supported by the server, or it must have an entry in the Aliases list to
specifically choose a NetLib supported by that server.
If you are connecting to your SQL Server over the Internet (which is a very bad idea from a security
standpoint, but people do it), you’ll probably want to use the server’s actual IP address, rather than the
name of the server. This gets around some name resolution issues that may occur when dealing with
SQL Server and the Internet. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to change the IP address manually
if the server gets a new IP; you won’t be able to count on DNS to take care of it for you.
SQL Ser ver Management Studio
The SQL Server Management Studio is pretty much home base when administering a SQL Server. It provides
a variety of functionality for managing your server using a relatively easy-to-use graphical user
interface. Branched off of the Visual Studio IDE environment’s code base, it combines a myriad of functionality
that used to be in separate tools.
For the purposes of this book, we’re not going to cover everything that the Management Studio has to
offer, but let’s make a quick run down of the things you can do:
❑ Create, edit, and delete databases and database objects
❑ Manage scheduled tasks, such as backups and the execution of SSIS package runs