CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sql-serverinstallationsql-server-expresssql-server-2012localdb
Steve
Steve

Reputation: 216291

LocalDB deployment on client PC

I am very intrigued by this new version of SQL Server Express.

It's not clear (to me) what a setup program should do to deploy an application that use a LocalDB.

Is it required to install SQL Server Express on the client PC and then attach the MDF file?

Or it's only required to run the LocalDB.msi and it works as a standalone file like SQL Server Compact?

Upvotes: 52

Views: 50001

Answers (2)

Ananda Prasad Bandaru
Ananda Prasad Bandaru

Reputation: 298

Note that you only have to install SQLLocalDB which is part of SQL Express software. You can directly download the SQLLocalDB file here - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/configure-windows/sql-server-express-localdb?view=sql-server-ver16 and run it in client machine where you have your software.

Upvotes: 0

Krzysztof Kozielczyk
Krzysztof Kozielczyk

Reputation: 5937

You don't need to install SQL Server Express to use LocalDB, as LocalDB is SQL Server Express, just easier to install.

Once LocalDB is installed you can use AttachDbFileName property of the connection string to "open" an MDF file. Keep in mind that the same file can only be opened by a single LocalDB instance (single Windows login) at any given time, so this is not a data-sharing feature.

Update: If your application is using .NET Framework, make sure to install .NET Framework 4.0.2 or newer, as mentioned here. The original .NET Framework 4 doesn't understand LocalDB connection strings, as it shipped long before LocalDB.

Upvotes: 40

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