Deploying SQL Express Throughout the Organization/Enterprise

What are some recommended methods for deploying SQL Express throughout an entire organization? It appears that Active Directory/GPO deployment is out of the equation.

Thanks,

Shane

hi Shane,

as SQLExpress is SQL Server, and as SQL Server is a service potentially serving lot's of user, SQLExpress is usually installed on a machine available through the whole lan.. all the clients connect to that instance and it answers to all the incoming requests... this is the "traditional" scenario of an enterprise wide database server...

what is your "problem"?

regards

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In our case SQL Express needs to be deployed to each PC because the product is used connected and disconnected to the network. Is there a documented or recommended method of deploying SQL Express to each PC?

Thanks,

Shane

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hi Shane,

a nice article has been written by Robert Walters including ClickOnce as well..

regards

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Andrea,

Thanks for the information. I have seen that article before and it is very good. We are using the ClickOnce bootstrapper but not actually using ClickOnce itself. What I am really looking for is recommendations on pushing SQL Express to PCs in an organization. Active Directory/GPO is commonly used for Windows Installer installations and while SQL Express is a Windows Installer installation under the hood it doesn't appear it would be practical and possibly not even possible to push it out this way. Is this a valid assessment? There are other electronic software delivery tools out there like SMS that may do the job, but we don't have experience with those tools. Would these tools be appropraite for pushing out SQL Express? Has anyone tried this successfully?

Thanks,

Shane