Find SQL Server Instances Versions
Methods for Identifying Installed SQL Server Instances and Versions:
SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):
- Open SSMS.
- In the Object Explorer, expand the "SQL Server" node.
- You will see a list of all installed SQL Server instances on your machine.
- Right-click on an instance and select "Properties."
- In the "General" tab, you can find the instance name and version information.
SQL Server Configuration Manager:
- In the "SQL Server Services" node, you will see a list of all SQL Server services.
Command-Line Tools:
- SQLCMD:
- Open a command prompt.
- Run the following command:
sqlcmd -E -S <instance_name>
- Replace
<instance_name>
with the actual name of the instance. - If the command is successful, you will see the instance name and version in the output.
- PowerShell:
- Open PowerShell.
- Run the following command:
Get-Service SqlServer*
- This will list all SQL Server services, including their names and versions.
- SQLCMD:
Registry:
- Open the Registry Editor (regedit).
- Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL\SQL Server
- Under this key, you will find subkeys for each installed instance. The subkey names correspond to the instance names.
- Open a subkey to view the version information in the "Version" value.
Additional Considerations:
- If you have multiple SQL Server instances running on the same machine, you can differentiate them by their instance names.
- The version number of a SQL Server instance indicates its specific features and capabilities.
- You can use this information to determine compatibility with different applications or software components.
Determining Installed SQL Server Instances and Versions: Example Codes
Visual Inspection:
- Open SSMS and connect to a server.
- The listed instances will display their names and versions in parentheses.
Using PowerShell:
Script:
Get-Service SqlServer* | ForEach-Object {
$InstanceName = $_.DisplayName.Split('(')[1].Trim(')')
$Version = $_.Description.Split(' ')[2]
Write-Host "$InstanceName - Version: $Version"
}
Explanation:
Get-Service SqlServer*
: Retrieves all services starting with "SqlServer."ForEach-Object
: Iterates through each service.$InstanceName
: Extracts the instance name from theDisplayName
.$Version
: Extracts the version from theDescription
.Write-Host
: Outputs the instance name and version.
Using SQLCMD:
sqlcmd -E -S <instance_name> -Q "SELECT @@SERVERNAME, @@VERSION"
sqlcmd
: Executes a SQL command.-E
: Uses Windows authentication.-S <instance_name>
: Specifies the instance name.-Q
: Executes the specified query.SELECT @@SERVERNAME, @@VERSION
: Retrieves the server name and version.
Using Registry:
$RegistryKey = "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL\SQL Server"
$SubKeys = Get-ChildItem $RegistryKey
foreach ($SubKey in $SubKeys) {
$Version = (Get-ItemProperty $SubKey).Version
Write-Host "$($SubKey.Name) - Version: $Version"
}
$RegistryKey
: Specifies the registry key.Get-ChildItem
: Gets the subkeys.Get-ItemProperty
: Gets the version property.
Alternative Methods for Determining SQL Server Instances and Versions
- Steps:
- Navigate to the "SQL Server Services" node.
- The instance name and version are usually listed in the "General" tab.
- Steps:
- The subkeys under this key represent the installed instances.
- The version information can often be found within the subkey's properties.
Using a Database-Level Query:
Steps:
Execute the following query:
SELECT @@SERVERNAME, @@VERSION;
This query will return the current server name and version.
Using PowerShell (Advanced):
- Steps:
Get-Service SqlServer*
Using WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation):
- Steps:
- Use the WMI class
Win32_Service
to query for services. - Filter the results based on the service name (e.g.,
SqlServer
).
- Use the WMI class
Using a Third-Party Tool:
- Steps:
sql-server sql-server-express