What is sqllocaldb in SQL Server?
LocalDB is a feature you select during SQL Server Express installation, and is available when you download the media. If you download the media, either choose Express Advanced or the LocalDB package. The LocalDB installer — SqlLocalDB.msi — is available in the installation media for all editions except for Express Core.
How do I download the sqllocaldb MSI?
To get just the SqlLocalDb MSI (45 MB) vs. the whole enchilada (700+ MB), choose the “Download Media” option to start downloading: Pick your language, choose the LocalDB option, and pick a location to download the MSI: Then you’ll get a very big dialog to indicate success. Choose the Open Folder option:
How do I use SQLCMD with sqllocaldb?
However there are several other ways to connect to and interact with SqlLocalDb instances. In order to use sqlcmd, you must install either SQL Server 2012 Management Studio Express or the client tools from a regular SQL Server 2012 edition (though I caution against using Evaluation Edition here, since the client tools will expire after 180 days).
How do I install sqllocaldb on a SQL Server 2017 instance?
Alternatively, if you already have a valid SQL Server 2017 install media, you can install SqlLocalDb from that installer, and avoid downloading the media above. Run Setup.exe and from the Installation Center choose “New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing SQL Server 2017 instance.”

Why patch SQL Server 2017?
The reason is that there was initially a critical bug that prevented the creation of database files due to a missing slash in the file path.
What does object explorer do?
When you open Object Explorer, you’ll see the database and table we created, and you can interact with the instance just like any other SQL Server instance (with obvious exceptions, for example there is no SQL Server Agent node under Management):
Where is SQLCMD version?
Look for the highest version in the Binn folders under C:Program FilesMicrosoft SQL ServerClient SDKODBC [version]Tools. You can connect to this instance using Windows authentication with the following code at the command line:
What version of localdb is 2012?
This used to return the localdb version number (in the original article, and with the 2012 release, this returned v11.0.
Can PowerShell connect to LocalDB?
Modern versions of PowerShell are also able to connect to LocalDB instances using the simple instance name format. With my default installation, though, I found I still needed to manually load SMO before it would connect and interact.
Who is Aaron Bertrand?
Aaron Bertrand (@AaronBertrand) is a passionate technologist with industry experience dating back to Classic ASP and SQL Server 6.5. He is editor-in-chief of the performance-related blog, SQLPerformance.com, and also blogs at sqlblog.org.
Does instance pipe name come in handy?
The Instance pipe name may come in handy later, though I’ve found that a lot of the connectivity issues in earlier versions of this feature have gone away. Also, in older versions you had to explicitly start the instance, but it now starts automatically.
What is local database?
LocalDB is a developer oriented, on-demand managed instance of the SQL Server engine that can be turned on automatically when needed and turned off when not in use. It requires no configuration to run and allows for quick access to a database engine without the overhead of managing and installing a full SQL Server instance. LocalDB utilizes the minimal amount of files needed to achieve all of this. Having the database access stay local greatly reduces the complexity for developing and testing applications with a SQL Server backend.
Can SQL Server Express be used for production?
Despite their differences, Microsoft still allows both to be used for production applications at no cost. LocalDB can act as an embedded database for a small application and SQL Server Express can act as a more robust, full-featured remote database engine for larger applications.
Can SQL Server Express be used for local development?
SQL Server Express, on the other hand, can be used for local development but requires far more installation and configuration time, stays on until it is manually turned off, and can be installed many times on a single server or computer.
What is SQL Server Express LocalDB?
Microsoft SQL Server Express LocalDB, a solution primarily intended for developers, is a lightweight version of SQL Server Express. It is very easy to install and set up. The installation copies a minimum set of files which are necessary to start SQL Server Database Engine. LocalDB supports the same T-SQL language and has the same limitation s as SQL Server Express.
What is the minimum requirement for installing LocalDB?
There are some requirements for installing LocalDB. A user should have Microsoft .NET Framework 4 and Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0.2 Runtime Update (KB2544514) . Depending on the operating system (32-bit or 64-bit Windows version), there are two versions of SqlLocaLDB.MSI: the version that can be installed on 32-bit operating system ( x86/SqlLocalDB.MSI) and the version which can be installed on 64-bit operating system ( x64/SqlLocalDB.MSI ).
What does Zivko like?
In his part-time, Zivko likes basketball, foosball (table-soccer), and rock music.
Where is LocalDB selected?
LocalDB should be selected from the Feature Selection page during the installation of the SQL Server Express version:
What is localdb sharing?
LocalDB supports instance sharing, which means that a user, the owner of an instance, can allow other users to connect to his instance. The way of sharing / unsharring LocalDB instance can be achieved by using SqlLocalDB Utility share/unshared commands.
How to see localDB instance?
To see all LocalDB instances, in the Command Prompt window, type following command: SqlLocalDB info .
Does LocalDB support SQL Server Express?
LocalDB supports the same T-SQL language and has the same limitation s as SQL Server Express. Microsoft SQL Server Express LocalDB allows developers to write and test Transact-SQL code. But, without having to manage a full server instance of SQL Server.
How much MB is SQL Server 2012?
Instead of installing a service and configuring security, they just start up an instance of this new LocalDB runtime as needed. In addition, the download for the SQL Express LocalDB runtime is only about 33 MB (or 27 MB, if you are still on x86), compared to the 100s of MBs required to download a full edition of SQL Server Express.
What are the challenges of SQL Server Express?
Developers using SQL Server Express face a few challenges in their day to day work. One is that setting up and maintaining Express can be a daunting task. Another is that using the "User Instances" feature (which has been deprecated) leads to a lot of confusion - developers connect to one instance of the database through their tools, and another instance of the database through their program, and don't understand why updates to one aren't reflected in the other. This is actually due to the AttachDbFileName setting, but in most examples I've seen, the two seem to go hand in hand.
Can you use SQL Server Data Tools in Visual Studio 2010?
In addition to using sqlcmd and Management Studio Express, you can download SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), which also installs the Visual Studio 2010 Shell if you don't already have some edition of Visual Studio 2010 installed. You can download SSDT from the following site:
Can I use SQL Express LocalDB for commercial hosting?
Can I use SQL Express LocalDB for commercial hosting services? According to the EULA - can not .
Does SQL Server 2012 Express LocalDB accept remote connections?
There are other aspects I haven't touched on, that I may treat in future tips - for example, sharing instances with other users, and the fact that LocalDB is named as such for a reason: it does not accept remote connections.
Who is Aaron Bertrand?
Aaron Bertrand (@AaronBertrand) is a passionate technologist with industry experience dating back to Classic ASP and SQL Server 6.5. He is editor-in-chief of the performance-related blog, SQLPerformance.com, and also blogs at sqlblog.org.
Can you use SQLLocalDB with Visual Studio?
To use SqlLocalDb with Visual Studio proper, see the following blog post, where Roel van Lisdonk walks you through using both Visual Studio 2010 and the newer VS11 beta to connect to SqlLocalDb:
