SQL Server Instances

[kmounkhaty@yahoo.com]

Dear SQL Guru,

I just found out this morning that my SQL Server box had been added 1
more instance. Below is the example:

PPAPP0075\FINAN CE (Old instance)
PPAPP0075\ACCOU NTING (Old instance)
PPAPP0075\Accou nting (new instance)

This is a case sensitive MS Sql server (third party vendor App). The
ACCOUNTING instance is the one we have been using for our current
applications. I found out the new one(Accounting) when I scan the
network by using OSQL -L utility. However, when NT engineers tried to
verify the physical files location of
Accounting, and it did not exist. When I tried to register it and it
does not appear from Enterprise Manager.

Please keep in mind NT Engineers have been monkey around on this server
quite a lot in last a few weeks, especially modifying Registry keys.

My question is, where did PPAPP0075\Acoun ting come from? We never ever
tried to install any more instance on this server.

Please help,

Thanks,
Silaphet,

[Erland Sommarskog]

Re: SQL Server Instances

kmounkhaty@yaho o.com (kmounkhaty@yah oo.com) writes:[color=blue]
> I just found out this morning that my SQL Server box had been added 1
> more instance. Below is the example:
>
> PPAPP0075\FINAN CE (Old instance)
> PPAPP0075\ACCOU NTING (Old instance)
> PPAPP0075\Accou nting (new instance)
>
> This is a case sensitive MS Sql server (third party vendor App). The
> ACCOUNTING instance is the one we have been using for our current
> applications. I found out the new one(Accounting) when I scan the
> network by using OSQL -L utility. However, when NT engineers tried to
> verify the physical files location of
> Accounting, and it did not exist. When I tried to register it and it
> does not appear from Enterprise Manager.
>
> Please keep in mind NT Engineers have been monkey around on this server
> quite a lot in last a few weeks, especially modifying Registry keys.
>
> My question is, where did PPAPP0075\Acoun ting come from? We never ever
> tried to install any more instance on this server.[/color]

As far as I know, instance names are case-insensitive, so \Accounting
should be the same as \ACCOUNTING. Why OSQL -L finds both, I have no
idea, but I would suggest that it's either a bug in OSQL that causes
the duplicate to be displayed, or a bug somewhere where causes this name
to be announced.

You can use the Task Manager and see who many sqlservr.exe you find.
I would expect that you only find two. You can also look in the
Services applet in the Control Panel to see how many MSSQL$ you
have.


--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, esquel@sommarsk og.se

Books Online for SQL Server SP3 at

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/productdoc/2000/books.asp