SQL Server 7.0 on Windows 95/98

Microsoft® SQL Server™ version 7.0 includes two main types of software, the client software and server software. All users covered by either a per-seat or per-server SQL Server Client Access License can install the SQL Server client software on a Microsoft Windows® 95/98 computer. Any user covered by a per-seat SQL Server Client Access License can also install the SQL Server Desktop Edition server components on Windows 95/98.

SQL Server Client Software on Windows 95/98

SQL Server 7.0 client software consists of:

• Utilities for managing SQL Server and performing ad hoc queries of SQL Server databases.
• Connectivity components such as the OLE DB Provider for SQL Server, the SQL Server ODBC driver, and the client Net-Libraries. These are used by any application that connects to a server running SQL Server.

The SQL Server 7.0 client software runs the same on a Windows 95/98 computer as it does on a Microsoft Windows NT® computer, with the following exceptions:

• The Windows 95/98 network redirector does not provide computer browser support. SQL Server dialog boxes that depend on this feature to get a list of servers do not display a server list on Windows 95/98. This includes the Register Server dialog box, the Register Server Wizard, and the Query Analyzer Login dialog box.
• The SQL Server tools that poll for the state of a server (SQL Server Enterprise Manager, SQL Server Agent) must do so actively using a poll service state interval defined by the user.

SQL Server Desktop Edition on Windows 95/98

The SQL Server Desktop edition is the only edition whose server components can be installed on Windows 95/98.

When SQL Server Desktop edition is running on Windows NT Workstation, Windows NT Server, or Windows NT Enterprise, it supports its full set of features. For more information about the list of features, see SQL Server Editions. When SQL Server Desktop Edition is running on Windows 95/98 computers, the features in the list below are also not available:

• The Named Pipes and Banyan Vines server Net-Libraries cannot be installed on Windows 95/98. A Desktop edition database on a Windows 95/98 computer cannot accept connections using these protocols. While Windows 95/98 does not support these server Net-Libraries, it does support the client Net-Libraries. SQL Server clients running on Windows 95/98 computers can connect to SQL Server databases on Windows NT computers using these protocols.
• Neither the client nor server AppleTalk Net-Libraries are supported on Windows 95/98.
• Windows 95/98 does not support the server functions of the API used for Windows NT Authentication. Clients cannot connect to a Desktop edition database on a Windows 95/98 computer using Windows NT Authentication. Windows 95/98 does support the client functions of the API for Windows NT Authentication, so SQL Server clients running on Windows 95/98 computers can connect to SQL Server databases on Windows NT computers using Windows NT Authentication.
• The server side of using encryption with the Multiprotocol Net-Library is not supported on Windows 95/98. Clients cannot connect to a Desktop edition database on a Windows 95/98 computer using encryption. Windows 95/98 does support the client functions for encryption, so SQL Server clients running on Windows 95/98 computers can connect to SQL Server databases on Windows NT computers using encryption.
• Windows 95/98 does not support asynchronous I/O or scatter-gather I/O. Because of this, the database engine cannot use some of the I/O optimizations it uses on Windows NT to maximize throughput with many concurrent users.
• On Windows 95/98, SQL Server manages its memory requests based on the amount of database work being done instead of maintaining virtual memory at a point that minimizes swapping as it does on Windows NT. For more information, see Memory Architecture.
• Windows 95/98 does not have a component that corresponds to Window NT services. The SQL Server database engine and SQL Server Agent run as executable programs on Windows 95/98. These SQL Server components cannot be started as services automatically. They can be started by placing a command prompt command in the Windows 95 startup group, but then they run as a separate MS-DOS® window.

  SQL Server Service Manager is installed in the Windows 95/98 startup group and operates with the same user interface as it does on Windows NT.

• Windows 95/98 does not have event logs. SQL Server uses a SQL Server Profiler-based mechanism to launch alerts on Windows 95/98.
• SQL Server Performance Monitor is not available on Windows 95/98 computers. Performance Monitor counters cannot be implemented for Desktop SQL Servers installations running on Windows 95/98. Windows 95/98 clients cannot monitor the performance counters of a SQL Server installation running on Windows NT.
• The SQL Server Version Upgrade utility does not run on Windows 95/98 and only supports export servers running on Windows NT.