what does the SQL Server Client Tools (Client Connectivity Only) install option do?

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arch - 30 Mar 2005 11:28 GMT

I was under the impression that the Client Connectivity install was required
for every machine on a LAN network that wanted to connect via OLEDB to an
sql server database. However, I recently created an adp project in MS
Access that seemed to connect without any problems, even though the Client
Connectivity component wasn't installed. I am now confused exactly what
that install option actually does. Can someone give me a clue?

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Graham R Seach - 30 Mar 2005 11:54 GMT

It installs a plugin called "Enterprise Manager", which provides a highly
functional graphical user interface for managing all aspects of SQL Server
and its databases.

Regards,
Graham R Seach
Microsoft Access MVP
Sydney, Australia

>I was under the impression that the Client Connectivity install was
>required
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Connectivity component wasn't installed. I am now confused exactly what
> that install option actually does. Can someone give me a clue?

Reply to this Message

Sue Hoegemeier - 30 Mar 2005 13:32 GMT

Client connectivity installs MDAC and the network
libraries. Most applications only need MDAC. Generally you
will only need MDAC which is already on most PC so the
client connectivity install is usually not required.

-Sue

>I was under the impression that the Client Connectivity install was required
>for every machine on a LAN network that wanted to connect via OLEDB to an
>sql server database. However, I recently created an adp project in MS
>Access that seemed to connect without any problems, even though the Client
>Connectivity component wasn't installed. I am now confused exactly what
>that install option actually does. Can someone give me a clue?

Reply to this Message

Vikram Vamshi - 01 Apr 2005 00:25 GMT

My understanding was that MDAC included the client network libraries ...

MDAC is a prime example of DLL hell problem, it comes in many versions and
is bundled with many microsoft products.

As long as the client machines have MDAC2.6 (or higher) you will be able to
connect to sql server.2000
The following versions of windows come bundled with MDAC
WinXP
Win2K

Lower versions of MDAC might also work as long as you are not using a named
instance of SQL Server.

A quick way to find your version of MDAC is to look up the following
registry entry, it is not reliable but works in most cases:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DataAccess\Version

hth

Signature

Vikram Vamshi
Eclipsys Corporation

> Client connectivity installs MDAC and the network
> libraries. Most applications only need MDAC. Generally you
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>>Connectivity component wasn't installed. I am now confused exactly what
>>that install option actually does. Can someone give me a clue?

Reply to this Message

Cathy Boehm - 01 Apr 2005 23:33 GMT

Yes,
Tell me me about it.
I have an application that I am suspecting uses DB-LIB to talk to the SQL
Server and I would always have to do the install of Client Network Utility on
each workstation to go along with the app. But lately I had a user that could
do without it - Go figure?
And then I ran into the user who was missing the Network DB Library
Communications Layer when I installed Client Network Utility 2000 on his
machine to talk to SQL Server 2000 Server, so I had to revert to the SQL
Server Client Network Utility 7.0 to make it work.

> My understanding was that MDAC included the client network libraries ...
>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> >>Connectivity component wasn't installed. I am now confused exactly what
> >>that install option actually does. Can someone give me a clue?

Reply to this Message

Sue Hoegemeier - 03 Apr 2005 20:05 GMT

That is correct. MDAC does not include ntwdblib. You need to
install the client connectivity components (or use
sqlredis). Other applications may distribute ntwdblib which
is why one of the users may have not experienced the error.
Per the Redist.txt file on the SQL Server CD, you can
redistribute ntwdblib.
You can find the files installed by MDAC in the MDAC
manifest. I believe Vines and Apple Talk as well as the Jet
drivers are the other pieces you won't get with just MDAC.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=828396

-Sue

>Yes,
>Tell me me about it.
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
>> >>Connectivity component wasn't installed. I am now confused exactly what
>> >>that install option actually does. Can someone give me a clue?

Reply to this Message

Sue Hoegemeier - 03 Apr 2005 19:50 GMT

Nope that's not correct. There are additional library files
with the client connectivity components that are not
installed with MDAC. The Jet drivers are also installed
which are no longer part of MDAC since MDAC 2.6. Most often,
people need to install the client connectivity components to
get DB-Lib (ntwdblib.dll).
MDAC and client connectivity install are definitely not the
same thing although as I already posted, most of the time
MDAC only will suffice but not always.

-Sue

>My understanding was that MDAC included the client network libraries ...
>
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
>hth

Reply to this Message

Vikram Vamshi - 04 Apr 2005 05:55 GMT

Ooops!
Forgot all about DB-Lib, it has been ages since we stopped using it ...
We don't need the JET drivers to talk to SQL, do we?

Signature

Vikram Vamshi
Eclipsys Corporation

> Nope that's not correct. There are additional library files
> with the client connectivity components that are not
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>>
>>hth

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