SharePoint

[udar]

I'd like to experiment with SharePoint Services on my Win03 Web Edition server. Can someone please tell me how to get it set up?

I tried downloading the SharePoint Services file from MS and installing it, but I've hit a roadblock at the database configuration screen. It want's a SQL database and I don't know how to create one. I've set up Access databases and ODBC connections to them, but never a SQL database. The documentation for MySQL wasn't much help.

Will SharePoint even work with a MySQL database, or does it require a genuine Microsoft SQL Server? Is there any way to make SharePoint work with an Access database?

Any and all help will be appreciated!

Thanks in advance,
Mike

[edogg]

Sharepoint requires either a full blown MS SQL Server installation, or just the Desktop Engine (aka MSDE).

MSDE is a free download from the Microsoft Download site and should work just fine for Sharepoint if you don't want to flip the cash for full-blown MS-SQL.

Hope that helps,
Joel Clermont

[GaryK]

The one major negative issue with MSDE is there's no UI which makes administering the server quite difficult.

As a workaround you can download a trial version of MS SQL Server. Normally it expires after a few months. But the tools that make it easy to manage the database: Enterprise Manager, Query Analyzer, et cetera will continue to function and in fact they can be installed separately from SQL Server itself. This makes it much easier to administer MSDE since it's essentially SQL Server minus the tools, with limited concurrent connections, and some other missing features.

~gary.

[udar]

Thanks for the info about MSDE and the admin tools from MS-SQL. I'll give that a try.