Shipping SQL Server Express Edition with my Windows Service.

Question

Hi,

I have created a windows service which interacts with SQL Server Express Edition. I want to ship this to my test machine which doesn't have any form of SQL Server installed.

Is there an easy way of shipping SQL Server Express Edition with my service? Is it possible to make this part of a Setup Project?

Thanks.

Answer 1

The Windows Service you created--I assume you wrote this as a Visual Studio project? If so, you can add the SQL Server 2005 Express Edition as a "Prerequisite" in the Setup, easy as pie... at least if you have VS 2008 or higher. Here's how.

(Making your own bootstrapper packages is also possible, but not exactly fun.)