If you followed my blog, you probably already guessed that I’m assisting a client to prepare for a big SQL Server 2000 to SQL Server 2008 R2 migration. When not, you know now :)
I’m a fan of commandline, tools, and preconfigured settings. Which means that I’m in the midst of reconfiguring all my shortcuts to SQL Server 2000 tools to SQL Server 2008 equivalents.
When inspecting and changing LNK shortcut files, two tools are important:
- dumplnk: dumps a shortcut lnk file from the commandline
- shurtcut: creates a shortcut lnk file from the commandline
One of tools I many shortcuts for is the ISQLW aka SQL Query Analyzer, which I use far more than the SQL Server Enterprise Manager (more on SSEM in a future post).
Depending on the mode of authentication you use to connect to your SQL Server, there basically are two forms of shortcuts:
- SQL Server Authentication (using SQL Server username and password):
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\isqlw.exe" /S"servername[\instancename]" /U"username" /P"password" - Windows Authentication (using the credentials of the currently logged in windows user):
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\isqlw.exe" /S"servername[\instancename]" /E
The former is less secure (so better to only store those shortcuts in a place that no other users can access).
From the ISQLW.exe syntax documentation:
Syntax
isqlw
[-?] |
[
[-S server_name[\instance_name]]
[-d database]
[-E] [-U user] [-P password]
[{-i input_file} {-o output_file} [-F {U|A|O}]]
[-f file_list]
[-C configuration_file]
[-D scripts_directory]
[-T template_directory]
]
The parameters /S, /U, /P and /E are very similar to the -S, -U, -P and -E ones from SSMS.exe (SQL Server Management Studio) with one distinction: there MUST be a space between each parameter and the value:
- SQL Server Management Studio (using SQL Server username and password):
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe" -S "servername[instancename]" -U "username" -P "password" - SQL ServerManagement Studio (using credentials for the currently logged in windows user):
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe" -S "servername[instancename]" -E
The Wiert Corner - irregular stream of stuff 