I'd like to provide a "directory" of all the different SQL Servers we have our different DEV, TEST, PROD environments by setting it up in Central Management Servers.
Another DBA said to be cautious of giving this to the group because there is an ability to inadvertently run a query on multiple servers IF they did a "New Query" on a group, instead of an individual server (and this would make sense why they call the feature Central Management Server).
Is there any way to provide this "directory" without having to worry about executing commands on multiple machines?
Best Answer
Multi Server queries are available when using registered instances, both with a CMS and with local registration.
There's no way to prevent an SSMS user from using local registrations and running multi server queries. Similarly, if a user has permission to connect to a CMS, you can't prevent them from running multi server queries.
I'd recommend focusing on educating your users on the feature to ensure they understand how registered servers work, and general rules of caution around making sure they are connected to the correct server before running queries.
Additionally, you can ensure that users only have access they need. Users can't run queries if they lack sufficient permissions on the server.