Where is the Surface Area Configuration tool in SQL Server 2008

By:   |   Comments (7)   |   Related: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | > Surface Area Configuration Manager


Problem

I just installed a new instance of SQL Server 2008 and I can't find the Surface Area Configuration tool that I used to use in SQL Server 2005. How can I manage the Database Engine features in SQL Server 2008?

Solution

Microsoft has removed the Surface Area Configuration tool that was shipped in SQL Server 2005. The Services and Connections that were once managed in Surface Area Configuration tool should now be managed using the SQL Server Configuration Manager. So how do you manage the Database Engine features? You can now manage the Surface Area Configuration for the Database Engine using Policy Based Management. A new Surface Area Configuration Facet in SQL Server Management Studio exposes the properties necessary to make required changes.

First, right-click on the instance name that you would like to configure in SQL Server Management Studio and select "Facets" from the context menu as shown below.

image2

This will display the View Facets dialog box that will provide you with a drop down of all the available facets that can be configured for the instance.

image1

Select "Surface Area Configuration" from the Facet drop down to display the properties exposed by that facet. Make the appropriate changes and select OK to apply them to the server.

One interesting feature is the ability to make the appropriate changes for your organization and export them to create a policy using the "Export Current State as Policy..." button. This allows you to configure this once and use this policy throughout your enterprise.

Next Steps

Although you can use the Surface Area Configuration Facet to manually implement the changes on each individual server, you should review some other articles on Policy Based Management. Once you see the power of using Policy Based Management with a Central Management Server, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by these new changes in SQL Server 2008.



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About the author
MSSQLTips author Ken Simmons Ken Simmons is a database administrator, developer, SQL Server book author and Microsoft SQL Server MVP.

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

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Comments For This Article




Saturday, January 2, 2016 - 9:10:35 AM - Gerald Rothaus Back To Top (40344)

 Thank you for getting right to it!

Clear and concise!

 


Friday, December 28, 2012 - 5:19:04 AM - Mat Back To Top (21169)

By the way it is not in the "SQL Server Configuration Manager" that you can find the menus, but in SQL Server management studio


Tuesday, December 25, 2012 - 6:06:23 AM - saravanan Back To Top (21129)

TITLE: Connect to Server
------------------------------

Cannot connect to SARAVANAN-PC\SQLEXPRESS.

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL Server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL Server is configured to allow remote connections. (provider: SQL Network Interfaces, error: 26 - Error Locating Server/Instance Specified) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: -1)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=-1&LinkId=20476

------------------------------
BUTTONS:

OK
------------------------------
HOW TO SOLVE THIS ERROR ? HELP ME PLZ......!!!


Friday, November 16, 2012 - 5:31:27 PM - zohaib Back To Top (20384)

TITLE: Connect to Server
------------------------------

Cannot connect to ZOHAIB-PC.

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Login failed for user 'as'. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 18456)

plz anyone solve dis prblm i have to submit my project...


Friday, November 16, 2012 - 5:26:26 PM - zohaib Back To Top (20383)



A connection was successfully established with the server, but then an error occurred during the login process. (provider: Shared Memory Provider, error: 0 - No process is on the other end of the pipe.) (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 233)

plz anwer me quickly because i have to submit my project on novmber 19


Sunday, April 15, 2012 - 2:47:00 AM - puneet Back To Top (16921)

earlier the error was while installing sql "wait on database engine failed". So i created a follder in appdata/local/microsoft/"Protect" (as mentioned by one gentleman on one of the forums)and configured NETWORK SERVICES and gave it all the permissions and then tried installing again and it worked, all the services ran just fine. But while connecting my database it gives me an error. should i use windows authentication or sql server authentication, The account i mentioned for database engine during install was somthing like NT authority/network services and it was without a password and on the next page i chose the option other than windows authentication...something like "mixed login" and chose  a password for that. Now my another question is where do i use this password? and what username to use if at all i use one for sql server authentication?

this is the error message

TITLE: Connect to Server
------------------------------

Cannot connect to MENKA-PC.

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Login failed for user 'menka-PC\menka'. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 18456)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=18456&LinkId=20476

------------------------------
BUTTONS:

OK
------------------------------


puneet


Sunday, April 15, 2012 - 2:45:52 AM - puneet Back To Top (16920)

TITLE: Connect to Server
------------------------------

Cannot connect to MENKA-PC.

------------------------------
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Login failed for user 'menka-PC\menka'. (Microsoft SQL Server, Error: 18456)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&EvtSrc=MSSQLServer&EvtID=18456&LinkId=20476

------------------------------
BUTTONS:

OK
------------------------------















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