Connecting to SQL Server using SSMS - Part 1

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), is the client tool that can be used to write and execute SQL queries. To connect to the SQL Server Management Studio
1. Click Start 
2. Select All Programs
3. Select Microsoft SQL Server 2005, 2008, or 2008 R2 (Depending on the version installed)
4. Select SQL Server Management Studio

You will now see, Connect to Server window.
1. Select Database Engine as the Server Type. The other options that you will see here are Analysis Services(SSAS), Reporting Services (SSRS) and Integration Services(SSIS).
Server type = Database Engine


2. Next you need to specify the Server Name. Here we can specify the name or the server or IP Address.If you have SQL Server installed on your local machine, you can specify, (local) or just . (Period) or 127.0.0.1
Server name = (local)


3. Now select Authentication. The options available here, depends on how you have installed SQL Server. During installation, if you have chosen mixed mode authentication, you will have both Windows Authentication and SQL Server Authentication. Otherwise, you will just be able to connect using windows authentication.


4. If you have chosen Windows Authentication, you dont have to enter user name and password, otherwise enter the user name and password and click connect.


You should now be connected to SQL Server. Now, click on New Query, on the top left hand corner of SSMS. This should open a new query editor window, where we can type sql queries and execute.


SSMS is a client tool and not the Server by itself. Usually database server (SQL Server), will be on a dedicated machine, and developers connect to the server using SSMS from their respective local (development) computers.


Developer Machines 1,2,3 and 4 connects to the database server using SSMS.