Do you find that the number of SQL Server instances you need to manage just continues to grow? Not everyone has that problem. But, if you do, it can get out of hand rather quickly. You need to maintain a list of all those servers, where are they located, and how do you connect to them. You may also be tracking what databases are installed on each instance. With Always On or Clustered SQL Servers the task of tracking all of these instances can become quite daunting.
SQL Server has provided a way to help you manage all of these instances in a more controlled manner. They have added the capability to register in SSMS instances of SQL Server. There are a couple kinds of registered servers. You can register servers in your local instance of SSMS. You can export and import lists from other users into your local list. You can also create groups of serves, and add server registrations to those groups, making it easier to find your SQL instance when you have dozens to register.
The second kind of Registered server is a shared registration method. This registration data is stored on an instance of SQL Server, and is available to users having the appropriate permissions.
One of the things I really like about registered servers is that you can give each one a meaningful name, not simply the name used to connect to the instance. For example, you could have a server whose name is based on a TCP:Port address such as 10.41.16.5:14433. Using a registered server you provide the correct connection information. However, you can enter a user friendly name for the server such as TestDatabases. A second part of the registration I find really useful is the description. You can enter a lot of information in the description portion of a registration. You probably don’t need much.
Just think how much more useful this can be as your SQL Instances continue to grow. It makes it a lot easier to keep track of the SQL instances, and using a Central Management Server for your registrations makes it easier to communicate and share with your team. Tomorrow we’ll take a look at what you can do with Registered servers.
Cheers,
Ben