Starting, Pausing, and Stopping SQL Server

Before you log in to Microsoft® SQL Server™, you need to know how to start, pause, and stop SQL Server. After you are logged in, you can perform various tasks such as administering the server or querying a database.

Because SQL Server is integrated with the Microsoft Windows NT® Service Control Manager, it can be started and stopped as a Windows NT service (MSSQLServer), either locally or remotely. If you are running Microsoft Windows® 95, SQL Server Service Manager can stop, start, pause, and check the state of local services. Unlike Windows NT, it cannot remotely administer services.

Note If you have to reboot your computer, Service Control Manager will be brought up automatically, with the default Service displayed in the Service Control Manager. When you explicitly quit Service Control Manager, the current Service will be saved and will be opened the next time Service Control Manager is opened. However, when you shut down or log off the computer, the current Service will not be saved as the default Service.

SQL Server can be started automatically as a service each time Windows NT starts. This option can be specified during installation by using SQL Server Setup, and after installation using SQL Server Enterprise Manager or the Services application in Control Panel.

You can log off from the Windows NT network without shutting down SQL Server.

When you start SQL Server, you are starting the SQL Server service (MSSQLServer); SQL Server Agent runs as a service called SQLServerAgent. If the MSSQLServer and SQLServerAgent services are not configured to start automatically, you must start them manually. The SQL Server Service Manager also can be used to start, pause, or stop Microsoft Search Service and MSDTC Service. After you start the MSSQLServer service, users can establish new connections to the server. After you start the SQLServerAgent service, you can use SQL Server’s scheduling features.

You can pause SQL Server before stopping the server. Pausing SQL Server prevents new users from logging in and gives you time to send a message to current users asking them to complete their work and log out before you stop the server.

If you stop SQL Server without pausing it, all server processes are terminated immediately. Stopping SQL Server prevents new connections and disconnects current users.

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