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Introducing LocalDB, an improved SQL Express

Updated 2011-11-28: Added reference to the walkthrough of using LocalDB in Visual Studio 2010 and to the new LocalDB Installer.

Updated 2011-11-02: Added reference to .NET Framework 4 support for LocalDB in the Q&A section.

Introduction

It gives me great pleasure to introduce a new version of SQL Express called SQL Express LocalDB.

LocalDB is created specifically for developers. It is very easy to install and requires no management, yet it offers the same T-SQL language, programming surface and client-side providers as the regular SQL Server Express. In effect the developers that target SQL Server no longer have to install and manage a full instance of SQL Server Express on their laptops and other development machines. Moreover, if the simplicity (and limitations) of LocalDB fit the needs of the target application environment, developers can continue using it in production, as LocalDB makes a pretty good embedded database too.

Background

Before focusing on technical description of LocalDB, I'd like to provide some background on the direction we took building it.

Today SQL Server Express serves two distinct needs. On one hand it is a free edition of SQL Server. The installation, management and programming of SQL Express in this role is expected to be 100% compatible with other editions. It can be used for learning, training and to run relatively small production database (with less than 10GB of data). Upgrade from SQL Express to paid SQL Server editions is a matter of typing in a license key and no installation is required.

But SQL Express is also SQL Server edition for developers writing applications targeting SQL Server. In this role the programming of SQL Express is still expected to be 100% compatible with other SQL Server editions, but SQL Express is supposed to be small, simple, low-footprint, require no configuration or administration, run as non-admin user, etc.

Our approach so far was to try to make SQL Express perform well in both roles. But as SQL Server product matured, and in effect added more complexity, it became harder and harder for SQL Express to be both compatible with other SQL Server editions and small/simple. The challenge is most visible in installation and configuration of SQL Express. In SQL Server "Denali" we decided to change the approach it and introduce a dedicated version of SQL Express for developers - LocalDB that delivers the simplicity and yet is compatible with other editions of SQL Server at the API level.

Also, by making LocalDB a better SQL Express for developers, we hope to be able to improve the regular SQL Express to be a better free SQL Server. We'd be very happy to hear your feedback in this area, especially if you're using SQL Express as a database server and find any issues caused by the new features that were introduced to fit the needs of developers and desktop environment.

High-Level Overview

After the lengthy introduction it's time to take a look at LocalDB from the technical side. At a very high level, LocalDB has the following key properties:

  1. LocalDB uses the same sqlservr.exe as the regular SQL Express and other editions of SQL Server. The application is using the same client-side providers (ADO.NET, ODBC, PDO and others) to connect to it and operates on data using the same T-SQL language as provided by SQL Express.
  2. LocalDB is installed once on a machine (per major SQL Server version). Multiple applications can start multiple LocalDB processes, but they are all started from the same sqlservr.exe executable file from the same disk location.
  3. LocalDB doesn't create any database services; LocalDB processes are started and stopped automatically when needed. The application is just connecting to "Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0" and LocalDB process is started as a child process of the application. A few minutes after the last connection to this process is closed the process shuts down.
  4. LocalDB connections support AttachDbFileName property, which allows developers to specify a database file location. LocalDB will attach the specified database file and the connection will be made to it.

LocalDB Instances

As we said before, at the heart of LocalDB is the same sqlservr.exe as in the regular SQL Express and other editions of SQL Server. In case of LocalDB, it is installed into one central location together with all necessary DLLs. By default it is located at "C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\LocalDB\Binn".

When an application uses any of the client-side providers (like ADO.NET, ODBC or PDO) to connect to "Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0", the provider will first check if LocalDB instance for the current user is started. If it's already started the application will connect to it. Otherwise the LocalDB instance for the current user will be started and then the provider proceeds to connect to it. Note that each user (Windows login) may have their own LocalDB instance that is isolated from instances of other users.

To try LocalDB just use this connection string: "Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Integrated Security=true". Note that because the activation logic lives in the client-side provider, you need to install the latest one - SQL Server Native Client "Denali" (for ODBC and OLE DB) or the next .NET Framework (for ADO.NET). We are also shipping a QFE for .NET Framework 4 that adds the support for LocalDB to it (the updated .NET Framework 4 is already available, see this post for details).

Database as a File

LocalDB connection strings support AttachDbFileName property that allows attaching a database file during the connection process. This lets developers work directly with databases instead of the database server. Assuming a database file (*.MDF file with the corresponding *.LDF file) is stored at "C:\MyData\Database1.mdf" the developer can start working with it by simply using the following connection string: "Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Integrated Security=true;AttachDbFileName=C:\MyData\Database1.mdf".

New Installer

In this CTP LocalDB is a shared feature of SQL Server Express available to try as an option during installation of any other version of SQL Express. Our ultimate goal is to offer LocalDB in a separate, simplified and smaller installer. We will keep you posted on our progress here.

LocalDB and User Instances of SQL Express

Users familiar with today's User Instances of SQL Server Express should feel right at home with LocalDB. In essence LocalDB offers the ability to create and start a "user instance" without the hassle of installing and maintaining the parent SQL Express instance. In that respect LocalDB could be seen as an upgrade of the User Instances feature of SQL Server Express.

Let me also take this opportunity to remind everyone that User Instances are on a deprecation path since SQL Server 2008.

LocalDB and SQL Express

LocalDB is not a replacement for SQL Server Express -- it is an addition to SQL Server Express lineup. While LocalDB is meant for developers, the regular SQL Server Express will continue to exist as a free SQL Server edition, fully compatible with and easily upgradeable to higher SQL Server editions.

LocalDB and SQL Server Compact?

Small and simple database, lightweight installation, connecting to a database file -- this will sound familiar to any developer using SQL Server Compact. The similarities are not accidental, as our goal for LocalDB was to be as easy to use as SQL Server Compact (while being as powerful and compatible with full SQL Server as SQL Express).

There are significant differences between LocalDB and SQL Server Compact:

  1. Execution mode: SQL Server Compact is an in-proc DLL, while LocalDB runs as a separate process.
  2. Disk usage: all SQL Server Compact binaries amount to some 4MBs, while LocalDB installation takes 140MBs.
  3. Features: SQL Server Compact offers core RDBMS functionality like querying, while LocalDB provides a much richer set of features, including Stored Procedures, Geometry and Geography data types, etc.

Send us Your Feedback

Please share your feedback with us! Feel free to start a thread on SQL Express Forum, hit the "Email Author" button on this post or file a Connect item!

 

 

Q&A

Thank you all for your feedback. Please read below for answers to your questions!

 

Q: You say that LocalDB runs as a separate process. However, the main SQL Server site states "LocalDB has all of the same programmability features as SQL Express, but runs in-process with applications". So which is it?

A: LocalDB runs as a separate process - it does not run in-process. It does however run in the same security context as the calling application.

 

Q: Does SQL Express Denali still have the same memory limitations as that of SQL Server 2005 Express.

A: The memory limitation has not changed for Denali. At Denali RTM, LocalDB will have the same memory limitations as Express.

 

Q: What is the difference between LocalDB and SQL Server Compact Edition?

A: LocalDB is the SQL Server database engine. As such it offers functionality such as online backup, transactions and data integrity.  LocalDB is designed for PCs but unlike Compact does not support small mobile devices like smart phones because of its hardware and disk requirements. Compact Edition is a shared file system database.  It is not fully API compatible with SQL Server and does not support the same level of data integrity. SQL Compact is also not supported by the PHP Driver and PDO.

 

Q: Where can I find the option to install LocalDB?

A: You must install the SQL Server Express Edition and select LocalDB as a feature. You can unselect the Database Engine if you do not require SQL Server Express as a service.

A: Starting from SQL Server 2012 RC0 LocalDB can be downloaded and installed separately, as described in this post.

 

Q: How do you actually create a LocalDB database?

A: Connect to LocalDB and then use the usual T-SQL “CREATE DATABASE …” command.

 

Q: Can LocalDB be a subscriber for merge replication?

A: Merge replication is not supported by LocalDB.

 

Q: Can LocalDB be launched from a service?

A: LocalDB can be launched from a service, as long as the profile is loaded for the service account.

 

Q: Installed OK, but how about a nice little VS2010 C# (working) sample for creating a LocalDB database?

A: We are currently working on a sample application to illustrate the usage of LocalDB in C#.

A: Please see Using LocalDB in Visual Studio 2010 for a sample walkthrough.

 

Q: When will System.Data.SqlClient support LocalDB?

A: LocalDB is planned to be supported with .NET 4.0 with a QFE (not yet shipped) and future versions of .NET

A: LocalDB is supported by System.Data.SqlClient in .NET Framework 4 Update 4.0.2, as announced in this post.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    July 12, 2011
    You say that LocalDB runs as a separate proces. However, the main SQL Server site (www.microsoft.com/.../express.aspx) states "LocalDB has all of the same programmability features as SQL Express, but runs in-process with applications". So which is it? I'm confused...

  • Anonymous
    July 13, 2011
    Does SQL Express Denali still have the same memory limitations as that of SQL Server 2005 Express which is now 6 years old. Back then it was 1GB of memory allowed per Instance. Has this been bumped to 2GB or more yet seeing as the DB size limit was bumped from 4GB to 10GB for the last release.

  • Anonymous
    July 13, 2011
    Installing sql server sometime is really tuff task........WMI, Encryption, perf count, DCOM, MOF compilation, previous incorrect un-installations, unknown/undocumented system privileges and other countless issues that EVERYONE faces while sql installation.

  • Anonymous
    July 14, 2011
    What is the difference between LocalDB and SQL Server Compact Edition?

  • Anonymous
    July 14, 2011
    See this comparision between Express 2008 R2 and SQL Server Compact

  • Anonymous
    July 14, 2011
    Missing link: erikej.blogspot.com/.../comparison-of-sql-server-compact-4-and.html

  • Anonymous
    July 14, 2011
    Hi, I have installed Denali CTP3 but I am unable to find the folder mentioned above. Is there some special options I need to set during install ?

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2011
    There seems to be no documentation at all on how to use localdb, as mentioned, the localdb folder is missing.  Too bad, I want to get testing today...

  • Anonymous
    July 15, 2011
    I wasted several hours today unable to find a localdb option in the installation

  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2011
    Hello cosmicone, you can check the following article www.kodyaz.com/.../sql-server-2011-localdb-setup.aspx The installation ends with success and the SQL discovery report lists the LocalDB successfully

  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2011
    How do you actually create a LocalDB database?

  • Anonymous
    July 18, 2011
    Can LocalDB be a subscriber for merge replication?

  • Anonymous
    July 19, 2011
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 22, 2011
    Installed OK, but how about a nice little VS2010 C# (working) sample for creating a LocalDB database?

  • Anonymous
    July 25, 2011
    Now working nicely with System.Data.Oledb using Provider=SQLNCLI11.1 and Data Source=(localdb)v11.0.  However, no luck so far using System.Data.SqlClient.  Insight or referrals appreciated.

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2011
    How about a nice little VS2010 VB and C# (working) sample for creating a LocalDB database?

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2011
    Sounds interesting. What about Multi-User scenarios? Will it be possible to use a single read-only MDF across multiple user instances. e.g. Terminal Server environments?

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2011
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    August 11, 2011
    support the fulltext index and search ?

  • Anonymous
    August 11, 2011
    how to use sql locadl db via ado classic?

  • Anonymous
    August 15, 2011
    Is it possible to ship the required DLLs for LocalDB with an application in order to bypass the installation requirement?

  • Anonymous
    August 17, 2011
    Is visual studio express 10 compatible with this version of sql

  • Anonymous
    August 28, 2011
    Do I need install both Server Express and LocalDB in the same PC? in case I need some feature from the server version.

  • Anonymous
    September 21, 2011
    This is great, this solves a lot of our problems. Here are my questions/thoughts:

  1. You mentioned that the install might be smaller when localdb is split off from the Denali CTP. Any idea how much smaller? Could it be gotten down to, say, 35MB? That would help us tremendously.
  2. I wish I had a DB that was identical to SQL Server in TSQL, data types, query expressiveness, etc. but did not support some of the heavier, richer features in order to save space and install size. I would even be willing to give up stored procedures to get something like that. It sounds like localdb is a great step in that direction, but still kind of heavy.
  3. It would be great to have a slim version of Management Studio in a small install to go along with localdb. Currently you have to download a >100MB install to get Management Studio. A smaller, lighter version would be very helpful.
  4. Will there be a VisualStudio Setup project bootsrapper for localdb? I hope so! I'm still waiting for the bootsrapper for 2008 R2. :)
  • Anonymous
    October 27, 2011
    What are the files to deploy along with LocalDB ?

  • Anonymous
    October 31, 2011
    Hi, for first impression look good. And came at good time for disconected application, there is any compatibility with sync framework, and improvement with Entity framework.

  • Anonymous
    November 28, 2011
    Will LocalDB support Service Broker?

  • Anonymous
    November 28, 2011
    the statement: "Upgrade from SQL Express to paid SQL Server editions is a matter of typing in a license key and no installation is required." What versions of SQL express does this apply please? 7, 8, 9, 10, 10.5, 11?

  • Anonymous
    November 29, 2011
    @nskerl@gmail.com LocalDB supports Service Broker today, but only for local queues. I cannot comment on the future, but remote Service Broker queues are not among frequently asked-for LocalDB features so far. The best way to request a SQL Server feature is filing the connect item - see the footer of all my posts for a link. -Krzysztof

  • Anonymous
    November 30, 2011
    Will there be any way to utilize the LocalDB without ever requiring administration rights, including for the install?

  • Anonymous
    December 14, 2011
    "Merge replication is not supported by LocalDB." : Does-it planned ?

  • Anonymous
    December 15, 2011
    @Carson: I don't know if we ever implement non-admin installation of LocalDB. It will not be in the RTM of SQL Server 2012. If you feel strong about the need for this feature, and you are willing to share your usage scenario and more info, please file a connect item. It is the best way of telling us what you need and why. See the footer of all my posts for a link. Thanks, -Krzysztof

  • Anonymous
    December 16, 2011
    @F.OGUER Same for the replication. It will not make RTM of SQL Server 2012 and I cannot comment on future releases. As I said, we are paying close attention to our connect feedback... Thanks, -Krzysztof

  • Anonymous
    December 20, 2011
    Can LocalDB be used by those of us on the Java side of the fence?  How would we connect a JDBC driver to an on-demand database?

  • Anonymous
    December 22, 2011
    @Charles Stanton Unfortunately JDBC driver doesn't support LocalDB at this moment and there is no easy workaround. The team is aware of this missing feature, but filing a connect item is always helpful for DCR tracking and prioritization. Thanks, -Krzysztof

  • Anonymous
    January 14, 2012
    I am trying to test it out using ADO.  I am really not sure I can even connect to it using ADO, not ADO.Net.  To connect to SQL Server I use:    Dim MyConnect As New ADODB.Connection        MyConnect.Open "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Integrated Security=SSPI;" & _        "Persist Security Info=False;" & _        "Initial Catalog=MyDB;" & _        "Data Source=MyComputerMyInstance" I have a reference to ADO 6.0 Does anyone know if you can connect using ADO and what the connection string is?

  • Anonymous
    January 17, 2012
    @mogulman52: Only ADO.NET, ODBC and OLE DB drivers have been updated to understand LocalDB connections. One possible approach of using LocalDB from ADO is to make sure ADO is using SQL Server 2012 Native Client.

  • Anonymous
    January 24, 2012
    Will SQL Server 2012 Profiler be able to record LocalDb events? Specifically, I want to trace the SQL to / from LocalDb.

  • Anonymous
    January 25, 2012
    @Wallace Kelly Since LocalDB is part of SQL Server Express, SQL Profiler will not work with it, as SQL Profiler doesn't support SQL Server Express.

  • Anonymous
    March 04, 2012
    Can multiple users be using the same database file at the same time?  For instance if the database is stored on a network shared drive and two users are running an app on separate computers that use the same database.

  • Anonymous
    March 06, 2012
    @Brad Pepers No, only one LocalDB instance can have the database open at any given time. This is also true for any other SQL Server editions and instances.

  • Anonymous
    March 07, 2012
    Can I create a report using Report Builder 3 that connects to a LocalDB data source?

  • Anonymous
    March 22, 2012
    Will LocalDB support jdbc connectivity?

  • Anonymous
    April 13, 2012
    @Charles Stanton & Alex Apostolou, Do you use SQL Server Express today for local development?  Are you working on Windows or another platform?  It would be great to hear more about how you would like to use LocalDB with your Java app. Shamitha Reddy, Program Manager Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server

  • Anonymous
    May 05, 2012
    What's the story on development tools within Dev 11 for LocalDB? Right now it seems this is quite limited: no query designers, no diagrams etc. This means you either need to use SQL Server Management Studio separately outside of Dev 11, or target a SqlExpress instance instead. This seems like a step back. My guess is that developers are likely to choose the second option and skip LocalDB which would be a shame. Will there be full design-time support for LocalDB in Visual Studio? Imar

  • Anonymous
    May 07, 2012
    Imar,    SQL server Data tools( msdn.microsoft.com/.../hh500335(v=VS.103).aspx)  use LocalDB as the default development database and provide full design time support including query designer, object exploer etc. -- srini

  • Anonymous
    May 29, 2012
    Thanks for all descriptions. But there is an error i cannot fix... I've already used the localdb on a small project. I tested and saw no problem. But when i deployed the application some users complained about connection problems which says there is a network related error to connect (localdb)v11.0 instance is not reachable. I finally reproduced the error message. The setup is ok, the .Net 4.0.2 update is ok and all other Windows updates are ok. There is no error when the application is started with Administrator account. But when a user account is used the exception throws and says that the sql server is not reachable. Do you have any idea for the customers who wants to use a username which have no administrator privileges on their computer. Thank you.

  • Anonymous
    May 29, 2012
    Kadir, From your description, I cannot immediately say what might be the problem. Please look at the Windows application event log to see if there are any error messages. You can also look at the SQL Server logs in "%localappdata%MicrosoftMicrosoft SQL Server Local DBInstancesv11.0". One question: do your users see this error all the time? If they try your application again, does it work for them the second time? Ward.

  • Anonymous
    July 07, 2012
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 08, 2012
    We appreciate your comments, Steve. Please don't hesitate to post here again if you have any questions. We are also looking for input on how to make it better for developers, so pleaase post your suggestions as well. Ward.

  • Anonymous
    August 01, 2012
    Hi there - thanks for the article! Question - how does patching work for LocalDB through SSDT? Is it patched via Visual Studio or does it require separate SQL patching? Thanks!

  • Anonymous
    August 28, 2012
    "%localappdata%MicrosoftMicrosoft SQL Server Local DBInstancesv11.0" is a folder that is EXCLUDED from roaming via a standard MS GPO named "Exclude directories in roaming profile" with a default value of "AppDataLocal;AppDataLocalLow;". Therefore if a user logs of from his PC this folder get's deleted. All data inside this folder get's wiped from disk (data loss). Turn your brains on guys! What Google does is WRONG. Suxxx Microsoft ADCENTER is such a broken software. It also installs the app into local app data. Therefore the application is also lost, not only the database.

  • Anonymous
    September 01, 2012
    Summary: Thank you MS for your free tools. Can I still use .InstanceName somehow especially as its the only insance on the machine Details: Again thanks for your hard work on these free tools. LocalDb looked promising.  Unfortunately after investigation there is one major problem.  We have a suite of utilities all with a hard coded .InstanceName if we move from Express to LocalDb we have to re-write lots of our software suite. (yes yes maybe it should all be in the registry) but what of Customers who also have . paths in their .exe.config files. Surely it would have been easier [to use] to have LocalDb interfaces automatically sense that a .InstanceName is of type LocalDb and start it. Why the (LocalDb)InstanceName? I find this and other stuff from MS is not very well thought out as a real world solution (if academically correct) I mean its purist but not backwards compatible, forging ahead without thought for us poor ISVs who have existing code,running systems that need upgrading and customers. Its frustrating that compact does not have stored procedures; one reason we can't use it. I understand why (kind of) though its bad design to encode SQL. Thanks for reading

  • Anonymous
    September 02, 2012
    Re: LocalDb - Can I still use dot InstanceName format somehow I appreciate your frustration. Unfortunately, there is no way to use the ".instanceName" notation to reference a LocalDB instance. Our experience is that most ISVs provide a mechanism to specify the server name parameter of the connection string externally to their applications. It strikes me that this would not be a difficult change for you, and might provide benefits for the future. That said, we will keep your suggestions in mind for a future release -- perhaps we could extend the existing instance alias mechanism.to meet this requirement. Thanks, Ward.

  • Anonymous
    September 29, 2012
    Unfortunately, I must not that LocalDb is NOT a "better" SQL express. In fact, I have had nothing but problems with it. For some unknown reason, it keeps thinking that the database is read-only. In some cases, I resolved this but granting all users on the machine full control over the MDF/LDF files. In other cases, the database (somehow?) actually did transition to a readonly state and even using Sql Management studio I have been unable to make the database not read only ! What a PITA.

  • Anonymous
    September 29, 2012
    Stephan, I'm sorry you have had difficulties with LocalDB. In designing LocalDB, we made a conscious decision to always run the DB engine "unelevated", even if the user that started it was running elevated. This is much safer for your computer, but it does mean that your database files must have their permissions set to allow your own account to access them -- not just administrators. One way to ensure this is to locate database files under your profile directory (e.g. users<username>). If you locate them elsewhere, you should use the security tab in Windows Explorer to give yourself full access to the directory.

  • Anonymous
    November 04, 2012
    Where would I find documentation that would help me build an InstallShield or WiX installed for an application using LocalDb?

  • Anonymous
    January 31, 2013
    How can I use LocalDB with Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Phone?

  • Anonymous
    April 20, 2013
    Q. How do I install both SQL Express 2012 & LocalDB 2012 on the same development PC? I tried running the LocalDB 2012 Wizard installer and it failed because I have a 'Higher Version' of SQL Express installed. I currently cannot run a web app using LocalDB unless I 'Attach' the database file in SQL Express 2012.

  • Anonymous
    May 01, 2013
    When will LocalDB attached-file databases support the Database Diagram functionality that other SQL Server databases accessed from the Server Explorer can leverage? This was supported in earlier versions of Visual Studio that used SQL Express. Why not in LocalDB?

  • Anonymous
    June 12, 2013
    I was just trying to download SQL Server Express LocalDB 2012 and it gave me a message saying "Unable to start SQLWriter.  Verify that you have sufficient priviledges to start services."  Is there a certain restriction going on?  I am a beginner, so I have no idea what it could mean, maybe that I need administrative rights but not sure.  Please help!

  • Anonymous
    December 12, 2013
    Hi, Is there any way i can change the owner of Localdb instance? In our application we are creating and instance and sharing. But as soon as the owner who has created the localdb instance log offs the instance is stopped. No one other than the owner can start the localdb instance. Any suggestions on how this issue can be solved?

  • Anonymous
    January 27, 2014
    What do I need to do if I switch the user my process or App Pool is running as to access a particular LocalDb Named Instance (or v11.0 for that matter). I already have an installed software running an MVC4 application and a Topshelf service. They currently are running as LocalSystem, but I need to be able to switch, Post-Install, to any other user. Whenever I try to do this I get Error 50 cannot create Instance even if I explicitly create the instance for that user. Also two instances with the same name will appear under "sqllocaldb info" and one of those instances cannot be interacted with by sqllocaldb. I'm already aware of how to interact with LocalSystem localdb using PsExec -s sqllocaldb

  • Anonymous
    February 12, 2014
    [To try LocalDB just use this connection string: "Data Source=(localdb)v11.0;Integrated Security=true"] Didn't work for me. I had to use 'SSPI' instead of 'true' for Integrated Security, otherwise I got DB_E_ERRORSOCCURRED. I thought these settings were supposed to be equivalent?

  • Anonymous
    February 28, 2014
    in LocalDb V 11,0 is there any way to Compress the size of MDF file and Clear all the Empty Space in Database file either with tool or programmatically

  • Anonymous
    March 25, 2014
    Can you, How do you install LocalDB with click-once?

  • Anonymous
    April 05, 2014
    Oh of course; (localdb)v11.0 to connect.  What WAS I THINKING!!? Funny. The whole thing, from download, to connecting to the DB could use a LOT of streamlining.  You want to compete with MySQL in the low end market??  

  • Anonymous
    June 11, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 27, 2014
    Just installed SQLLocalDB.msi what is the next step to get it working ? The (localdb)v11.0 does not show up in the list of servers as it does on my development pc.

  • Anonymous
    June 27, 2014
    Finally got it working, turns out that you do not only need SqlLocalDB.msi but also sqlincli.msi to get it working. The latter installs the native sql server client that you need to make your localdb visible to ADO. Why is this not mentioned anywhere ? Every install documentation I have looked at (and there have been many) do not mention this at all, leaving many many many frustrated people out there that will eventually give up on localdb because they cannot get it working...

  • Anonymous
    July 28, 2014
    In SqlServerCompact Edition we can create a database like this: SqlCeEngine engine = new SqlCeEngine(connectionString); if (!System.IO.File.Exists(filePath)) {   engine.CreateDatabase(); } In LocalDB v.11, how we can create the database if not exists? Where is the SqlServerEngine?

  • Anonymous
    September 19, 2014
    Is it possible to use attachdbfilename to attach 2 mdf databases?

  • Anonymous
    October 21, 2014
    I do not want to install LocalDB using SqlLocalDB.msi on customer computers. Is there a way to include LocalDB-related binaries into my application installation program? Will this work?

  • Anonymous
    October 30, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    December 05, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    December 24, 2014
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    March 01, 2015
    When using LocalDB in my ASP.NET MVC application, I have the connection string and can successfully connect to the database the first time it is created, but subsequent attempts to connect after changing my Model props in some way make it necessary to change the name of the .mdb file and also the logical name in the connection string. I have tried shutting down, deleting .mdb and .ldb files, clearing cache from AppDataTempTemporary ASP.NET Files, etc., everything I can think of, and still, on subsequent connection attempt to the database with a code-first approach, the db does not want to be re-created after a change to the Model unless I change the actual name of it (both filename and logical name) in the connection string to something I haven't used previously. I've been simply appending incremental integer values, i.e., File1.mdb, File2,mdb, File3, mdb, etc.Is this a known issue and are there any reasonable workarounds besides what I am doing? This entire ability to do code-first approach using MVC is a major selling point for me, and it just seems kind of messy to have to keep re-naming the db file until I'm done changing the Models.

  • Anonymous
    March 13, 2015
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 29, 2015
    Hola buenas tardes una pregunta el LocalDB soporta BulkCopy? ya que estoy desarrollando una aplicación en la cual tengo que exportar aproximadamente 20,000.00 registros de una DB de SQL Server a mi LocalDB, al momento de correr la aplicación no me genera ningún error pero no me inserta en la LocalDB, la conexión a la base es exitosa asi que no entiendo que pueda ser? este es mi bulk que estoy ocupando: Using bulkCliente As New SqlBulkCopy(conn, SqlBulkCopyOptions.Default, objTransaccion)                    bulkCliente.DestinationTableName = "Tbl_Clientes"                    bulkCliente.BulkCopyTimeout = 380                    bulkCliente.ColumnMappings.Add("NoSerie", "NoSerie")                    bulkCliente.ColumnMappings.Add("Modalidad", "Modalidad")                    bulkCliente.ColumnMappings.Add("DiaFacturacion", "DiaFacturacion")                    bulkCliente.WriteToServer(ds.Tables(2))                    bulkCliente.Close() End Using Espero me puedan apoyar, se los agradecería demasiado. Saludos.