Getting a list of SQL servers

[DesertChip]

Hi All,

I'm looking for a way to get a list of available SQL servers on the network. You know, something similar to the list that you get when building a query in ADO data control.

Best Regards

[Gen-X]

I can't tell you exactly how to get them but I can point you in the direction by telling you how they are gotten.

SQL Server when installed places 2 services on the machine it is being run... MSSQLServer and SQL Executive.

What these do is listen to a particular port on the network and when you run SQL Server and ask for the server list it broadcasts on this port and any SQL Servers that are active and running will respond with their name.

This is why you don't need to specifically state the name of any machine when running SQL Server because these services talk between themselves.