In this SQL Server tutorial, you will learn to install SQL Server Management Studio for managing and maintaining the SQL Server databases.
Here you will understand the step-by-step process to install the SSMS and also how to connect to the SQL Server instance in SSMS.
Finally, you will be introduced to the nodes and their uses in SQL Server instances; after that, you will learn how to write and execute the SQL query in SSMS.
Install SQL Server Management Studio
Before proceeding to install SQL Server Management Studio, first you need to know ‘What is SQL Server Management Studio?’.
SQL Server Management Studio is a GUI (Graphical User Interface) tool provided by Microsoft to manage and maintain SQL Server databases.
SQL Server Management Studio, short for SSMS is a set of features that allows you to perform various tasks related to the SQL Server, such as configuration, monitoring, and administration of the SQL Server.
Also, you can use the SSMS to run SQL queries to retrieve data from the database and design your database structure for what kind of data it will store.
To install SSMS, follow the below steps:
First, download SQL Server Management Studio for Microsoft website SSMS. Download the SSMS as shown in the below picture.
After downloading, double-click on the file to start the installation of SSMS, and then you will see the installation wizard as shown below screenshot.
If you want to change the installation location for SSMS then click on the Change button, otherwise go with the default location. To begin the installation, click on the Install button as shown in the above picture.
Then the next screen appears that shows the progress bar indicating the installation of the SSMS with Package progress and Overall progress, so here wait for a while until installation is completed.
After that, it shows the next screen that shows the message Setup Completed and All specified components have been installed successfully.
Then click on the Close button, and you have successfully installed the SQL Server Management Studio on your computer.
To open the SSMS, go to the search bar of your computer and type SQL, and then the SQL Server Management Studio app appears as shown in the picture below.
Click on the SQL Server Management Studio to open it. As soon as you open it, it asks for the SQL Server instance details, as shown in the below picture.
Verify the SQL Server Instance details such as Server type, Server name, and Authentication method, or specify another detail if you have configured the SQL Server instance.
Then click on the Connect button to connect to a particular SQL Server Instance in SSMS. After that SQL Server Management Studio Interface appears as shown in the picture below.
Go to the Object Explorer on the left side of the SSMS screen, from which you can manage the database, security, etc. Expand the MSI\SQLEXPRESS instance, which contains the different nodes and folders such as Database, Security, Server Objects, etc.
Let’s discuss the nodes under the SQL Server instance.
Node or Folder | Description |
Databases | It contains all the databases that exist on your SQL Server such as system database, and user databases. You can perform all the database-related operations such as database creation, deletion, etc. |
Security | It contains the different subfolders that belong to SQL Server Security such as server roles, logins, and database roles. Using this node you can manage user permission, accounts, and security settings for your SQL Server instance. Also, it allows you to create new logins, assign roles, etc. |
Server Objects | This node includes a set of server-level objects, settings, and items like triggers, servers, endpoints, etc. |
Replication | Replication is the way to distribute data from one database to another. This node allows you to manage and configure database replication. |
Management | If you want to manage the setting and performance of SQL Server, then you can do that using this node. This node provides items such as Policy Management, Data Collection, and Maintenance Plans. Basically, it allows you to maintain and monitor the SQL Server environment. |
XEvent Profiler | It is a node that allows you to access the Extended Event sessions, that you can use for capturing and analyzing the SQL Server performance and event data. |
If you want to execute an SQL query, then press CTRL + N from your keyboard to open the New Query window. In the query area, you can write your SQL query such as SELECT * FROM table_name something to interact with the database.
In the query editor or window, you can write different SQL queries to retrieve the information from the databases or perform operations on tables in the database.
To execute the written query, click on the Execute button as shown in the above picture or press the F5 button from your keyboard.
This is how you can install SQL Server Management Studio on your computer to manage the databases on SQL Server and many more things.
Conclusion
In this SQL Server tutorial, you learned how to install SQL Server Management Studio. Then you learned about the nodes and folder of SQL Server instance in SSMS. In the end, I explained about query editors where you can execute SQL queries.
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After working for more than 15 years in the Software field, especially in Microsoft technologies, I have decided to share my expert knowledge of SQL Server. Check out all the SQL Server and related database tutorials I have shared here. Most of the readers are from countries like the United States of America, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, etc. I am also a Microsoft MVP. Check out more here.