 MS
SQL Server 2005 Database Hosting FAQ
The most frequently-asked questions and useful answers about our Microsoft
SQL Server 2005 database hosting package are found on this page.
MSSQL Database Hosting - Frequently Asked Questions
 FAQ Contents
Database Specification
Database Connection
Database Usage
Database Specification
Does the MSSQL Server hosting package include web space?
How much storage space do I get?
How many users can I have?
How can I create database users?
What is the database role membership of users?
What is Load balancing?
Where is the database physically hosted?
Database Connection
How to connect using SQL Enterprise Manager?
How to connect using myLittleAdmin?
Can I connect using...?
Can I connect using scripts on a web site hosted elsewhere?
What connection string should I use to connect to the
database?
How do I create a File DSN?
I can't change table structure using MS Access?
Database Usage
Can I run T-SQL scripts against my MSSQL database?
What is the backup procedure for the MSSQL databases?
Can I create and execute DTS packages?
Can I create SQL Server Jobs?
Is the SQL Server Agent running?
What is the collation of the database?
In what format are dates in the database?
Is it possible to compact the MS SQL Server databases?
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Answers - Database Specification
Does the MSSQL Server hosting package include web space?
The MSSQL Server hosting package does not include web space. However, we
offer a high-quality Microsoft Windows hosting package which is suitable for
use with the MSSQL database hosting package, and is sold separately.
How much storage space do I get?
The standard MSSQL hosting package provides 50 megabytes of disk space for
data storage, and additional disk space can easily be added at any time in
blocks of 50 Mb.You can also compact your MSSQL database
at any time.
How many users can I have?
The standard MSSQL hosting package provides 5 SQL database user logins, and
additional users can easily be added at any time.
How can I create database users?
For database-only hosting packages, database users are created by our database
administrator, and users can't be created via Enterprise Manager. Please contact
us to request more database users.
If you also have a web hosting package with us, database users can be created
in your web hosting control panel.
What is the database role membership of users?
Database users provided with the MSSQL hosting package have the database
role db_owner.
What is Load balancing?
All of our hosting services are connected to the Internet in multiple ways
using a variety of carriers and network providers. This "load balancing"
eliminates most common network and downtime issues caused by congestion, and
failure. If one of our network routes becomes "unhealthy", our network
immediately and automatically switches connectivity links to use a healthy
route which eliminates packet loss and downtime. This "connectivity switching"
actually happens frequently, yet is completely invisible to our customers.
Where is the database physically hosted?
Our server network is located in an 18,400 square foot IDC (Internet Data
Center) facility in London – the hub of telecommunications and Internet
connectivity for the United Kingdom.
Housed in the prestigious Redbus London Interhouse Meridian Gate, this multi-million
pound facility is seismically designed to include the latest gas-based fire
protection systems, specialized heat and smoke sensors, raised flooring, scalable
power for future expansion, 24x7 technical support 365 days a year and unmatched
levels of security.
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Answers - Database Connection
How to connect using SQL Enterprise Manager?
To connect to your database using SQL Enterprise Manager, go to "New
SQL Server Registration". Enter the External IP address given to you
in the sign-up email, and select "Connect using SQL server login".
Enter your database username and password and click 'Connect'.
Depending on your network environment, you might need to set up an alias
using TCP/IP (not named pipes) in the "Client Network Utility" found
in the SQL server program group.
How to connect using myLittleAdmin?
You can access the database with myLittleAdmin, the web-based admin utility
for SQL Server. Point your browser at mssql.protected-content.com
and you should be able to see the control panel screen. Click on "Connection",
then "DSN-less". Enter the Data Source: "HYDROGEN" and
your database name. Leave all other settings as the default setting, and enter
the database username and password given to you in the sign-up email.
myLittleAdmin Web site Home Page
Can I connect using...?
The MSSQL database is available at a fixed external IP address and can be
accessed by any client program or software which uses TCP,
assuming that you have a valid SQL login for the database.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the common programs which can be
used to connect to your database:
Microsoft Enterprise Manager
Microsoft Query Analyzer
Microsoft Access
Macromedia Dreamweaver
Macromedia UltraDev
Database
Applications - FuzzySoftware
Database
Tools and Utilities at HotScripts.com
Can I connect using scripts on a web site hosted
elsewhere?
Yes, the database server can be accessed from scripts on your web site which
doesn't need to be hosted at www.tele-pro.co.uk.
What connection string should I use to connect to the
database?
To access your database from code, applications or scripts on your web site,
you can use this OLEDB connection string. Replace 'your_database_name' with
the name of your database, 'your_database_user' with the name of your database
user, 'your_password' with your database password and 'ip_address' with the
server IP address, which are given to you in the sign-up email.
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Provider=sqloledb;
Data Source=ip_address,1433;
Network Library=DBMSSOCN;
Initial Catalog=your_database_name;
User Id=your_database_user;
Password=your_password;
Connect Timeout=4;
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Download connection
string as plain text
This is not the only connection string which can be used to connect to your
database. For more connection strings see www.connectionstrings.com
How do I create a File DSN?
To create a File DSN to the database, save the following lines in a file
called mssql.dsn in the File DSN folder on your computer, e.g.:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\ODBC\Data Sources\mssql.dsn
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[ODBC]
DRIVER=SQL Server
UID=your_database_user
Address=ip_address,1433
Network=DBMSSOCN
DATABASE=your_database_name
WSID=Computer
APP=Microsoft Open Database Connectivity
SERVER=ip_address
Description=SQL Server ODBC Connection
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Download mssql.dsn as plain
text
Replace 'your_database_name' with the name of your database, 'your_database_user'
with the name of your database user, and 'ip_address' with the server IP address,
which are given to you in the sign-up email.
I can't change table structure using MS Access?
With MS Access, you would expect to be able to update the values of the data
in the tables, but you are not able to make structural changes to the MSSQL
database. This is due to the nature of the SQL Server connection driver used
by MS Access, and is not due to any restrictions imposed on the SQL Server.
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Answers - Database Usage
Can I run T-SQL scripts against my MSSQL database?
Yes, to run T-SQL scripts against your database, first connect with the Microsoft
Query Analyzer. There is a shortcut to this in the MSSQL Program Group, and
also from the MSSQL Enterprise Manager Tools menu.
What is the backup procedure for the MSSQL databases?
All databases are on the backup network, and your data is saved on a daily
basis by our remote backup system. In the unlikely event of a disk failure,
we can quickly restore users' data. However this backup process is not controlled
through the MSSQL server - it's only in case of disk failure and these backups
don't appear in the backup/restore routines in Enterprise Manager.
You can't currently use the MSSQL built-in backup/restore routines to make
backups however we are working to enable customers to get backups through
MSSQL Enterprise Manager. At this time, you can however use Microsoft DTS
to transfer databases between servers, to a local SQL server in your local
network or to MS Access.
Can I create and execute DTS packages?
Yes, you can create DTS packages, save them on the SQL Server and execute
DTS packages.
Can I create SQL Server Jobs?
SQL Server Jobs can be created via Enterprise Manager. However, the SQL
Server Agent is not running on the MSSQL database servers, and so SQL Server
Jobs are not scheduled for autoomatic execution.
Is the SQL Server Agent running?
No, the SQL Server Agent is not running on the shared database hosting servers.
What is the collation of the database?
The collation setting of the database is set to Latin General. Unfortunately
we are currently unable to provide support for other collation settings.
In what format are dates in the database?
Dates in the database are in UK format.
Your application can also define the datetime format. For instance the Session.LCID
property can be used in ASP scripts to set the date time format for the application.
Is it possible to compact the MS SQL Server databases?
Yes, you can compact your MSSQL Server database manually, using the T-SQL
command DBCC SHRINKDATABASE. For instance, to compact a database called
"test_mssql", run the following command in Microsoft Query Analyzer:
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-- compact the test_mssql database
DBCC SHRINKDATABASE(test_mssql)
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More information can be found in the T-SQL Reference section on the Microsoft
web site:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/tsqlref/ts_dbcc_3pd1.asp
Sign Up for MSSQL Database-Only Hosting
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