Is SQLCMD part of the DB Engine or Client Tools?

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We have hundreds of locations where our software is installed, and it used to use SQL 2005 Express. As part of an upgrade to our software, we are doing an automated upgrade to the DB Engine to SQL 2008 Express, but we are not upgrading the Client Tools; in fact many of our locations don't even have Client Tools installed, just the DB Engine.

I'm wondering, is SQLCMD packaged and upgraded with the DB Engine? If it is not, and only included with Client Tools (i.e. SSMS), then I think even if our locations had the SQL 2005 Client Tools installed they couldn't connect to the SQL 2008 DB Engine (I know SQL 2005 SP2 Update 5 and above can connect to a 2008 DB Engine, but I don't think these locations have the updates).

I've looked for documentation, but nothing seems to say if SQLCMD is upgraded with the DB Engine or the Client Tools.

Thanks!

Jim

Posted 2013-10-09T18:50:55.420

Reputation: 338

Answers

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EDIT: I am pretty sure it's included in the Database Engine installation. Peter seems to think so too, from the comments. That was my original answer.

However, documentation is a funny thing. Microsoft says that it's included in "Management Tools - Basic", per this page:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms144259.aspx

The section reads:

Installs SQL Server Management Tools – Basic.

This includes the following:

  • SQL Server Management Studio support for the SQL Server Database Engine, SQL Server Express, sqlcmd utility, and the SQL Server PowerShell provider

Here is a screen capture to prove it (in SQL Server 2012).

SQLCMD is part of the Management Tools

There's an alternative to all of this, because SQLCMD can be installed on its own. You can get the Microsoft SQL Server Command Line Utilities (latest one is version 11) from here.

user3463

Posted 2013-10-09T18:50:55.420

Reputation:

Awesome, thank you! Do you know if there's any documentation that says this? I believe you of course, but it would be nice to show my boss some documentation. This means we could skip upgrading Client Tools and still be able to use SQLCMD if we need direct DB access. – Jim – 2013-10-09T19:02:14.703

I was wrong. Please note my revised answer, with formal documentation as requested, plus a link to download SQLCMD on its own. – None – 2013-10-09T20:19:15.247

@RandolphWest - At least for 2008 R2, if you install without the Management Tools Basic, you still get sqlcmd.exe, I've done that many times on Windows Server Core machines and use sqlcmd there all the time. I will check about this for 2012. – Peter Hahndorf – 2013-10-09T20:35:59.583

I've edited the answer AGAIN to say that both possibilities are correct. Thanks for your input. If you have anything to add, please feel free. – None – 2013-10-09T20:48:35.433

Asked: 2013-10-09T18:50:55.420

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Active: 2016-01-15T13:53:24.860