Question

I have created one Winforms application on my PC with SQL Server as its database.

I have installed my application on a client PC, and I am required to copy the database I have created on my PC.

I don’t want to install entire SQL Server Management Studio on the client PC.

Can I just install SQL Server on the client PC and add my database to that without installing SQL Server Management Studio?

How can this be done?

Answer 1

You don’t need management studio. You can use sqlcmd (2005/2008) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms162773.aspx or osql (2000) http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa214012(v=sql.80).aspx

You’ll need to backup and restore the DB through TSQL commands

e.g.

BACKUP DATABASE AdventureWorks2008R2 
TO DISK = 'Z:\SQLServerBackups\AdvWorksData.bak'
WITH FORMAT;

Then, on the target server

RESTORE DATABASE AdventureWorks2008R2
FROM DISK = 'Z:\SQLServerBackups\AdventureWorks2008R2.bak'

You can also connect to the remote server with SSMS on a different box if network/policy allows.