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Takes Query Plan Analysis and Performance Monitoring to a New Level

Using a UDL File for Database Connectivity Testing

UDL (universal data link) files are a fast and easy way to test that you can connect to a server from a workstation, and without having to install an application or SQL Server Management Studio. It's also a good way to quickly test that specified credentials will connect to a server, and to build a connection string, something most of us don't do every day. Whether you're a developer or a DBA, it's a technique you'll find useful more often than you might think.

Duration:
3 mins 58 secs
Skill Level:
100
Rating:
4.56 out of 5
Publish Date:
January 25, 2010
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About the Author

Image of Andy Warren
Andy Warren is a software trainer focusing on SQL Server, a member of the PASS Board of Directors, and a principal in this site - SQLShare.com.

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Comments
Mike Salo on 1/25/2010
Good tip. This will be very helpful for me. Thanks.

pete on 1/25/2010
This was new to me and something that I can see an immediate use for. Thanks Andy, another great video!!

Brent Templeton on 1/25/2010
very useful tip

Gnana Sambantham on 1/25/2010
Simple.. Yet not commonly known.

John on 1/25/2010
So, so cool. Very helpful!

Chris Williams on 1/25/2010
Good vid. Been using UDLs for a long time.

K on 1/25/2010
Thanks Andy

Dave Yoder on 1/25/2010
This was GREAT. A nice simple tool that I was unaware of. Thanks.

Mounib on 1/25/2010
very slick! Thumbs up!

michael murphy on 1/25/2010
Loved it, thanks!

Munna Bhai on 1/25/2010
This is extremely helpful. Thanks once again for sharing this.

skaykov on 1/25/2010
useful tip

Vladimir Sotirov on 1/25/2010
You will find if the connection is ok when you try to select database. Also you need the SQL Native Client installed on the machine.

Vishwas on 1/26/2010
Awesome

Michelle Poolet on 1/26/2010
Learned something new today, thank you!

luther smith on 1/26/2010
Excellent presenter, good information

nilanaksha on 1/26/2010
Good to learn this..

AEE49878AC on 1/27/2010
Excellent, I had forgotten all about this.

Deepak on 1/29/2010
Good one.

salvio on 1/29/2010
Thanks a Lot.... Everyday I checking my E-MAil for your new Videos.. Keep on posting

kaushal yadav on 2/1/2010
provide uses of UDL

William Ringland on 2/2/2010
Great info. A real time saver.

achied on 2/5/2010
Never thought of it. it's an easy way to get the connection string.

achied on 2/5/2010
Never thought of it. it's an easy way to get the connection string.

Jim Butters on 2/6/2010
I have used this technique for years. It surely takes the connection and authentication out of the list of possible causes when there is a problem. I had not used it to create a connection string. Makes sense.

manu jaidka on 2/8/2010
Quiet useful.

Rob Wingate on 2/18/2010
Awesome tip! Thanks Andy

Sandip on 2/18/2010
Great share.

Denise Yu on 3/4/2010
I didn't see how it will conntact to Sql? or when actual connects to Sql's screen? in other word, how that user can logon without Sql client to install to the locaiton PC. Thank you,

James Lawrence on 3/11/2010
This will come in handy!

Cordelia on 5/6/2010
I would have rated it a 5 after I've successfully verified the usage. Great tip! Thanks Andy.

James Lawrence on 7/9/2010
Very handy thing to know!

Denise Yu on 8/11/2010
Thank you so much for this webcast....

Steve Culshaw on 8/25/2010
The multiple zoom in/out on the notepad display was a bit distracting

A Alagu Ganesh on 1/3/2011
Good

Mark Koza on 1/3/2011
Great tutorial. I used to use these for building connection strings back in my VB6/VBscript days ;)

Rajiv Gupta on 1/3/2011
Very informative. Learned new thing on the first day of the year. Thanks Andy.

Trevor Stumpf on 1/3/2011
Very useful. thanks

Keith Cooper on 1/3/2011
great content. I've been doing SQL Server DBA administration for years and did not know that this test exisited! Thanks for the information!

Mark Clancy on 1/3/2011
Good--succinct, useful.

WChaster on 1/3/2011
I have used the UDL file for years, but did not know about renaming it back to a TXT file to see the connect info. Great tip!

Scott Gleason on 1/3/2011
*THAT* is a great little connectivity testing tool :-) Scott

Ganesh P on 1/3/2011
Normally i used to test the connection with the Microsoft ODBC tool and good to hear that we have this option thanks for sharing this

Robert MacLean on 1/3/2011
Simple, too the point, moves right along without skipping over anyting. Excellent.

Jamshid Nouri on 1/3/2011
great demo! Thanks!

gaytri on 1/3/2011
Truly useful

Marcelo Marim on 1/3/2011
Very nice done. Happy new year to you!!!

Todd Burrell on 1/3/2011
That is a great tip. Thanks for sharing it.

Joe on 1/3/2011
Excellent, Andy, another good one.

Mai Grapes on 1/3/2011
I like this, especially the end where he renamed the file back to a txt file to show the connection information.

Shellz on 1/3/2011
This is exceptional! Thanks for the level of detail provided.

Phil Gardner on 1/3/2011
Very informative

Don Gilman on 1/4/2011
Glad you covered the password being stored as clear text. This is very useful in a dev environment where you have student coders who need quick access to a designated server.

Alexander on 1/4/2011
very nice video

Fred Zimmerman on 1/5/2011
Succinct and extremely useful and convenient in development vs. database back-end.

Martin Miller on 1/5/2011
That is an extremely useful tip! Thanks Andy.

32DE12EB89 on 1/6/2011
Very useful - thanks!

P Gerb on 1/7/2011
thats cool!

Prashant Thakwani on 1/9/2011
Andy, this is a great video for testing the basic connectivity. However, i want to point one thing here. During your video, you selected the 'SQL Server Native Client 10.0' as a provider and further you mentioned that you can take this UDL file to any other server in the network where SSMS is not installed to test the connectivity. Do you think that Native Client 10.0 will also present there on that UDL file on the other server where SSMS(and ultimately SQL Server native client) is not installed currently?

Trent on 1/10/2011
really enjoyed this one. I can definitely see how I will be able to use this in the future.

Trent on 1/10/2011
really enjoyed this one. I can definitely see how I will be able to use this in the future.

YSLGuru on 1/10/2011
Nice tip and a great follow-up would be an example of using a UDL file from something like a custom app.

Diana Dee on 1/11/2011
Works on Windows 7. Does it work on XP? Any version of "NT" back to what?

Mohamed Irshad on 1/11/2011
very usefule, liked the part to extract the connection string from the udl file content

Ameena on 1/16/2011
This was totally new information for me and I think it is very useful.

Dennis on 1/31/2011
it doesn't play

idris chambas on 4/3/2012
Excellent tip, Andy. Tanks

ravi on 5/10/2012
exceelent

Justin Gatewood on 2/25/2013
fantastic



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