Sql-server – Install SQL Server Express r2 2008 using a configuration file

installationsql-server-2008-r2

I need to deploy my application with SQL Server Express. There is a way of installing sql express using a configuration file so that when deploying my application it appears as if I am only installing one thing and make it easier for the user installing the software. Anyways here are the steps:

Step 1)

Create the configuration file:
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Step 2)

Place the Setup.exe (SQL Server 2008 R2 Express) file next to the configuration file. I place both files at the root of my c drive for simplicity

Step 3)

Execute the setup.exe passing the parameters:
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I been getting a lot of errors. Can someone show me how can I have a configuration file in order to install sql server express edition with the administrator as the main user.I don't want the user installing the application to have to go throughout that trouble. I found a nice link that teaches you how to create a configuration file in here but I still am not able to do it. I am using windows xp 32 bit. I managed to installed it on the virtual machine manually. I will like to be able to install sql server express from the command line or with a configuration file.

Best Answer

Unfortunately, you cannot install SQL Express without Administrator rights on the machine and it's not something you can set in the config file or on the command line. If being able to install without Administrator rights is a requirement, you may want to investigate using SQL Server Compact Edition.

See the following MSDN topics for more information:

Using SQL Server Compact 3.5 (Visual Studio)
How to: Deploy a SQL Server Compact 3.5 Database with an Application
SQL Server Compact 3.5 SP2 Books Online
Local Data Overview
Choosing Between SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition -- A little dated now, but much of it still applies.

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Sql-server – Installing SQL Server 2008 Express Edition in quiet mode issue

I believe you must specify the full path to the file, e.g. C:\Temp\Configuration.ini - otherwise SQL Server setup tries to find it in the extraction folder for the setup, which is typically C:\some_big_long_gui\.

You also have some configuration options (such as IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms) which are not valid for the edition you're using (that one specifically was added in SQL Server 2008 R2). I was able to install SQL Server 2008 Express successfully using the following configuration file (I removed unnecessary SSAS / SSRS / SSIS options for Express, all the verbose comments, and the invalid entries):

[SQLServer2008]
INSTANCEID="SQLEXPRESS"
ACTION="Install"
FEATURES=SQLENGINE
HELP="False"
INDICATEPROGRESS="False"
X86="False"
ERRORREPORTING="False"
SQMREPORTING="False"
INSTANCENAME="SQLEXPRESS"
SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Automatic"
ENABLERANU="True"
SQLCOLLATION="SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS"
SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE"
SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS="BUILTIN\ADMINISTRATORS"
SECURITYMODE="SQL"
ADDCURRENTUSERASSQLADMIN="True"
SAPWD="mds134"
TCPENABLED="0"
NPENABLED="0"
BROWSERSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Disabled"

And the following command line:

SQLEXPR_x86_ENU.exe /QS /ConfigurationFile="C:\Temp\Configuration.ini"

You will have to instruct your users to specify the path for this. You can make this an argument to your bootstrapper, but I don't know of a way to have setup find your configuration file without specifying an explicit path for it. If you tell your users to copy both the exe and the ini file to the same folder, I'm sure your wrapper could figure out the command line necessary. Otherwise your users will have to lend a hand in determining the path.

Another option would be to just use a massive command line instead of using a configuration file at all. This seems to be two less steps in the setup process anyway (ensuring that the ini file has been copied and determining where it is). Unless the purpose is to allow users to change some arguments using the config file. I think those should perhaps be in a config file you deploy with the wrapper instead of the config file for Express.

If you're building a new application to deploy SQL Server, why aren't you using SQL Server 2012? I'm not sure it overcomes the configuration file issue (this page seems to imply it isn't required, but I was not successful with 2008 or with 2012), but at least you'll be using a much more recent version, with more features and a longer support sunset, more predictable command-line arguments (I did not expect them to change between 2008 and 2008 R2), and less chance that a database will be too modern for the version of the engine installed.