I had lost my entire configuration trying to upgrade to sp2. The upside is that I could install things differently. My main objective was to get rid of the local SQL server. Which succeed following these steps:
- Create a new machine in virtual PC
- OS type server 2003
- Install Small bussiness server from MSDN disk.
This resulted in a nice virtual server 2003. It works in 256 mb of RAM and will run side by side with Visual Studio on a 512mb laptop. But SBS does not include SQL server and the default SQL server wil not install.
- Download the SBS premium disk from MSDN. This disk is not in the MSDN shipment. (?)
- Install the premium disk after reading the setup instructions. There are some things to watch, the instructions are clear.
And now I have a virtual SQL server. The nice thing about a virtual server is that it can run on different hardware. When I need a fast mult-connection setup I can run it on my gameboy (fast P4 with loads of RAM) When I need portability I can run it on my notebook, side by side with VS. And when I want a quit office I can run it on my tablet. Virtual PC side by side with Outlook and Feeddemon. Quite flexible.
I had also hoped to get rid of localhost and use IIS 6 on server 2003 instead. This led to some problems
- You have to be logged on to the domain to have suffiecient rights. In the VS side by side scenario this leads to a chicken-egg problem. I have to logon to start virtual PC and virtual PC has to be running to log on. Perhaps via switching user in XP ?
- Setting up debugging is quite a job. Beside setting user rights you have to fiddle with the firewalls to set up DCOM.
For the moment I'll stick to localhost. Havn't decided what to do yet. Finish the fiddling or upgrade XP itself to server 2003 ?
But I am rid of my local SQl and that really makes a difference.
Peter