Does anyone know where I can connect to a test SQL box?

I recently lost my job and wanted to do some test development to keep my skills up to date. The problem is I don't have access to any data sources. Is there such a thing around? I tried installing microsoft's trial of SQL 2005 but can't get it to run on my laptop and SQL 2000 trial no longer exists. I simply need to create a SQL db/tables etc. Thanks in advance.

You probably want SQL 2005 Express.

Jeff

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jeff@.zina.com:

You probably want SQL 2005 Express.

Jeff

Thanks. I'll take a look at it.|||

wescosoft:

I recently lost my job and wanted to do some test development to keep my skills up to date. The problem is I don't have access to any data sources. Is there such a thing around? I tried installing microsoft's trial of SQL 2005 but can't get it to run on my laptop and SQL 2000 trial no longer exists. I simply need to create a SQL db/tables etc. Thanks in advance.

An employer will not give you Express for development so it is better to download the eval version which is good for 180 days to use for your development. The product almost self install after you choose components Hope this helps.

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/trial-software.mspx

|||Odd, my employer gave me Express for development. But we also have production, test, and staging sql servers as well.|||

Motley:

Odd, my employer gave me Express for development. But we also have production, test, and staging sql servers as well.

Most employers give personnal edition which is complete SQL Server for development. Express installs with VS, that does not mean employers give Express for development.

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SQL Personal Edition, SQL Desktop, and MSDE are what SQL Express is in 2005. And I've found that employers don't normally give anything, development teams and shops have different methods of development. Most that I deal with use development servers, which are full SQL Server editions that match the deployment servers.

There are limitations to SQL Express, but most shouldn't impede using it for web development.

Jeff

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jeff@.zina.com:

SQL Personal Edition, SQL Desktop, and MSDE are what SQL Express is in 2005. And I've found that employers don't normally give anything, development teams and shops have different methods of development. Most that I deal with use development servers, which are full SQL Server editions that match the deployment servers.

There are limitations to SQL Express, but most shouldn't impede using it for web development.

Jeff

Personnal is not MSDE so it is not Express, MSDE is Express and it is not a way to learn data driven web application development because a lot of what you need to run your application are SQL Server Agent dependent and there is no Agent in Express.

|||There is no 2005 Personal Edition, atleast not that I am aware of. Enterprise, Standard, Workgroup, Express, Developer, and I believe there is a Mobile Edition as well. You may be thinking of the Developer Edition which is similiar in fuctionality to Enterprise with some licensing restrictions.|||I did not say there is personnal in SQL Server 2005 but Express is not a replacement for personnal because it was a complete SQL Server. That is the reason I gave the user the eval version.