What is the Microsoft Database Engine?

[blakemckenna]

Can anyone tell me what EXACTLY the MSDE is?

Thanks,
Blake

[szlamany]

MSDE is exactly what it says - database ENGINE. It's the SQL SERVER 2000 "server application" that allows a SERVER to be a SQL SERVER database server. It's actually SQLSERVER.EXE.

But it's free.

Since SQL SERVER is a SERVER APPLICATION, you need CLIENT TOOLS to talk to it. MSDE, being free, does not come with them.

You can get the CLIENT TOOLS by buying another version of SQL - the DEVELOPERS EDITION - costs around $50 US. This gets just you, the developer, CLIENT TOOLS. Not the right to install client tools on a customer machine - just tools of your own.

MSDE also has some "concurrent" user limits that makes it run real slow when the number of concurrent connections reaches 5 (I think that's the number). This is done so that a "big-time" shop doesn't attempt to use MSDE instead of buying $10,000 MS SQL SERVER.

I have developers edition on my laptop. I have real SQL SERVER 2000 on a SMALL BUSINESS SERVER at work - got that through MSDN multi-purchase agreement with MS.

If I found a "small-enough" customer to buy one of my VB SQL applications, I could give them MSDE for FREE and they would be up and running - paying only me $$'s for my application.

[edit] MS has announced that SQL SERVER EXPRESS is a new product to replace MSDE - might have some "basic" client management tools. They are afraid of MYSQL and other low-end SQL product competition.

[speedsolo]

FYI. MSDE stands for Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine,
but not MicroSoft Database Engine