What is the difference between Microsoft SQL Server and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and how can I integrate SSMS in Visual Studio 2012 so I can use database diagrams?
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Peter Mortensen
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hrskrs
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15SQL Server = database engine; SQL Server Management Studio = GUI Administration Tool for working against the SQL Server engine – marc_s Mar 08 '14 at 19:23
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2How can i integrate SSMS to VS 2012? – hrskrs Mar 08 '14 at 19:26
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3You cannot - SSMS is based on Visual Studio but it's a separate, own tool. – marc_s Mar 08 '14 at 19:43
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SQL Server Object Explorer (SSOX) (works in VS2015, not sure 2012) – Alexan Mar 07 '17 at 15:23
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Credit to marc_s:
SQL Server = database engine; SQL Server Management Studio = GUI Administration Tool for working against the SQL Server engine
Jim Aho
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But isn't SQL Server massive, and Studio much smaller? The installation for MS SQL Studio is 800MB file, and doesn't need MS SQL server installed. so it must have its own SQL server. Installing Ms SQL Server instead of Studio, is surely much bigger? – barlop Dec 11 '17 at 13:41
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Yes I think SQL Server is more "massive" in the sense of required disk space, afterall it's the engine. Studio is the GUI tool and hence might require less disk space, I think this sounds reasonable. When you install SSMS you have an option to also install SQL Server (and if you dont - then you have a GUI tool but no local database, however you can still connect to a remote database through the GUI) – Jim Aho Dec 12 '17 at 07:33
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But the SMSS installation file is 800MB so it has some option to install a server and you choose it I can't see how it'd be anywhere near as big as installing Ms SQL Server. – barlop Dec 12 '17 at 13:27
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Not sure what that means actually, but good point. [Here](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/install/hardware-and-software-requirements-for-installing-sql-server) it says 2016 version requires minimum 6GB disk space. – Jim Aho Dec 14 '17 at 10:09
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And worth noting that when you say the 2016 version requires 6GB you're talking about MS SQL Server, not SMSS which is much smaller and I think includes a server. – barlop Dec 14 '17 at 16:13
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Well yes that is true. And also - it could be the case that during install of SSMS it _will_ install a database engine, can't rember if that option is optional or not. Think SQL Server Express might be included at least when you install SSMS – Jim Aho Dec 15 '17 at 09:34
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It seems like Microsoft is trying to make SSMS look like Visual Studio, but there is still no integration. Use the Entity Framework 6.0 within Visual Studio 2012 to generate those diagrams for you.
Peter Mortensen
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Sting
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