Install Excel on the SQL Server

[Vikki McCormick]

I have some developers who want to create .xlsx files from SQL Server.

There is a claim that it necessary for me to install excel on the server in order for this to work.

Is this standard practice? They are running an SSIS package to create the files.

I think there is a c# solution that you can add with a script task to avoid installing the actual application to a server and all you would need would be this driver package.

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13255

The server is always under a lot of memory pressure because it's mainly used for data warehousing and they also built a cube on that server. So I am hoping to avoid this.

Any feedback would help. Thanks.

[kadghar]

If you want to create Excel files, its better if you have Excel installed. Never the less, you can create HTML tables in plain text, save them with *.XLS extension, and Excel will read them well.

[ck9663]

If they are using SSIS to export data, I think you can export data into an XLS. If there are no other formatting, that should work.

Also, if you export a text file from SQL Server and named it as .CSV, it will open in excel. Works all the time for me on email attachments from sql server.

Good Luck!!!


~~ CK

[Vikki McCormick]

Thanks for your post. They need to read in an .xlsx and output an .xlsx. I think that is a requirement and no work arounds.

I think a script task with some code might be a good solution. I saw someone doing it that way online somewhere, but I have not tried or tested that. Thanks.

[kadghar]

To read an XLSX, I wouldn't try any alternative. Installing Excel seems the right thing to do.

[ck9663]

Try to output it as XLS but with extension .XLSX.

Good Luck!!!


~~ CK

[Vikki McCormick]

From a DBA stand point. You never put anything with SQL Server. You should never in a perfect world. I heard from Brent Ozar that you can put SSIS and SSRS with excel, but in all my experience, you never add excel to SQL Server unless maybe your company can afford the type of hardware to support it.

We are a small company and we are running trimmed down and virtualized. It will surely cause issues.

[ck9663]

Yes it can.

Excel can be used to SQL Server directly and pull data through .Net or VBA.

Good Luck!!!


~~ CK

[Vikki McCormick]

Hmm...Currently there is running SSAS, SSIS, and SQL Server right now on a Hyper-V. The database is relatively small in the real world - 70GB. However the growth rate is around 7-10GB a month. You think adding another application to run along side of SQL Server will have no effect or do you think there is a risk?

[ck9663]

The risk you will be taking is not on disk size that Excel will eat up nor the processing it will use on your processor. Security is one and it's also not a regular ideal practice.


Good Luck!!!


~~ CK