[Solved] How to access SQL server?

[Harry B.]

Hello!

Host OS: Windows Vista Home Edition
Guest OS: Windwos XP Professional
Network: Bridge mode

From host i can ping the guest system. On the guest system I installed MS SQL Server 2008 Express. Now I want to connect to SQL server with MS Access from Host system. Event if I shut down both firewalls (host and guest system) I can't setup an ODBC connection.

Is there something general I'm doing wrong?
Is there some documentation for such a scenario?

TIA,
Harry B.

[Perryg]

I imagine the issue has to do with the MS Access not being able to find the MS SQL server.
You may need to add the Server to your hosts file unless you have a DNS server setup and working.

[vbox4me2]

Use Bridge mode, NAT won't do.

[Harry B.]

Perryg,

you're right!

...You may need to add the Server to your hosts file unless you have a DNS server setup and working.

Can you explain this more detailed, please?

Regards,
Harry B.

[Harry B.]

vbox4me2,

Use Bridge mode, NAT won't do.

I do so. Look at my initial posting.

Regards,
Harry B.

[vbox4me2]

Make an ODBC connection with the IP address of the sql server.

[Perryg]

Unless you run your own DNS server the machine name will not be translated and you get around this by creating your own translation by using the hosts file.

[Harry B.]

Perryg,

is hosts file the only solution, or can I use the guests IP address instead, as vbox4me2 mentioned?

[Perryg]

Nope you can do exactly as vbox4me2 says as well.
But sometimes Windows tries to access the machine by the computer name depending on how it is setup. Either way works for the most part but I find for myself I have fewer problems by using the host file (your local substitute to DNS). There are other ways to achieve this as well, just more time consuming and complicated. All of this is of course is IMHO!

[Harry B.]

With making the input to hosts file, I'm a little bit further now.

After disabling both firewalls, the SQL server now is detected during ODBC setup. I used server authentification with explicite input of username and password during the "System-DNS" setup. Then a message (in german) occured, saying something like "Error during login for user 'Admin'."

Any suggestions for this?

[Perryg]

It really depends on how you setup your server, but it usually is sa not admin on the MS SQL server, unless you changed it during the install.
And it is System-DSN isn't it?
This is unfortunately outside of the scope of VirtualBox. You should try the technet forums for Microsoft support.

[Harry B.]

It's running fine now!

I think the solution is:

• I use "SQL Server Authentication" instead of "Windows NT Authentication" during the ODBC setup, because I didn't have a domain.
• Then I use a User DSN instead of a System DSN.
• And last but not least I use an separate user on the SQL server and not "Admin".

Thanks for your help!