Find SQL Server Instances Versions

Methods for Identifying Installed SQL Server Instances and Versions:

1. 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.

2. SQL Server Configuration Manager:

   • In the "SQL Server Services" node, you will see a list of all SQL Server services.

3. 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.

4. 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 the DisplayName.
• $Version: Extracts the version from the Description.
• 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:
  1. Navigate to the "SQL Server Services" node.
  2. The instance name and version are usually listed in the "General" tab.

• Steps:
  1. The subkeys under this key represent the installed instances.
  2. The version information can often be found within the subkey's properties.

Using a Database-Level Query:

• Steps:

  2. Execute the following query:

     SELECT @@SERVERNAME, @@VERSION;
     

  This query will return the current server name and version.

Using PowerShell (Advanced):

• Steps:
  2. Get-Service SqlServer*
     

Using WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation):

• Steps:
  1. Use the WMI class Win32_Service to query for services.
  2. Filter the results based on the service name (e.g., SqlServer).

Using a Third-Party Tool:

• Steps: