Arne,

According to a single paragraph in the book "Inside SQL Server 7.0" the MSDE (sub?)product has only the "relational engine" and the "storage engine". It goes on to say "None of the usual SQL Server tools are installed: you are expected to use the visual tools that come with Microsoft Visual Studio for creating your objects. Office 2000 and Access 2000 install a tool that lets you do a minimum amout of administration.".

In a prior page it has this to say about 'the desktop version'...
** start quote **
"...does not come with all the SQL Server features, and if you use it on a Windows 95 or Windows 98 machine,you face other restrictions because of the limited capabilities of the operating system.
--- SQL Server Desktop does not support:
------ parallel queries
------ fiber-mode scheduling
------ failover clusters
------ extended memory addressing
------ defining publications in a transaction-based replication configuration

In addition, if SQL Server Desktop is installed on a Windows 95 or Windows 98 machine it also does noty support:

---- the Named Pipes and Banyan Vines server-side Net-Libraries....
---- AppleTalk Net-Libraries
---- Windows NT Authentication for incoming server connections
---- the server side of using encryption with the multiprotocol Net-Library
---- asynchronous I/O or scatter/gather I/O...
---- any component that corresponds to Windows NT Services. (the SQL Server database engine and the SQL Server Agent run as executables...)
---- event logs...
---- SQL Server Performance monitor
---- the SQL Server Version Upgrade
However, contrary to online documentation, hash and merge joins are possible with SQL Server Desktop
** end of quote **

I hope that this is helpful.

Jim N


>>Installed SQL Server 7 Enterprise today; what a PIA. Took me 3 hours to get it working. Anyway, you have raised a lot of good points on why MSDE may be a good tool to get to know. But, I still think the restrictions are heinous. For that amount of hassle, I'll install SQL Server 7 Desktop and be done with it.
>
>John,
>
>PMFJI, but do you know what is the relationship between MSDE and SQL Server 7 Desktop? I have been told that it is the same, except that the administrative and other tools are not included with MSDE. However, I'm not sure how informed the person saying this was...
>
>Arne