Connect from SQL Developer to several SQL Server instances

Question

Our SQL Server has more than one instance, but I see only one instance of them trying to connect from SQL Developer 1.2 to SQL Server. How I should define the connection information? Usually we connect to SQL Server by <hostname>/<instancename> and then the database name as CatalogName (Initial Catalog). In the Oracle world you can give only the hostname, a port number and the database name. How I can convince the SQL Developer to choose one of our SQL Server instances?

Answer 1

Hi user627927,
Bug/Enhancement request already logged.
We have not got this configuration in house, two people have suggested workarounds but we are unable to test them for now. The last person was unable to get these workarounds working, and we have not confirmed them in house.
Can you get the instances connected through two different ports?
It would be great if you could confirm either workaround.
-Turloch
*1/Suggestion 1 change the URL through SQLDevelopers xml connection store.
*2/Overload the port field to have instance in the eventual url
*1/Suggestion 1 change the url through SQLDevelopers xml connection store.
[Note it is probably simpler to connect a dummy connection through the connection dialog as usual save it (you cannot connect) and then add the instance information rather than having to enter all the information in an unmanaged way.]
Hi Naveen,
I had same problem as you and user579801. I managed to resolve it by doing the following.
1. Locate the file called IDEConnections.xml in the folder where you have installed SQL Developer (eg. c:\sql developer\sqldeveloper\system\oracle.jdeveloper.db.connection.11.1.1.0.11.42.62).
2. Create the following entries under <connections> tag.
<connection>
<URL>jdbc:jtds:sqlserver://\\.\;namedPipe=true;instance=SQLDBNam;</URL>
<ConnectionName>SQLServer</ConnectionName>
<user>SQLUser</user>
<ConnectionType>JDBC</ConnectionType>
<DeployPassword>false</DeployPassword>
<JdbcDriver>net.sourceforge.jtds.jdbc.Driver</JdbcDriver>
<RaptorConnectionType>Microsoft SQL Server</RaptorConnectionType>
</connection>
3. Save the file; Close and re-open the SQL Developer and try connecting.
Hope this will solve your problem. Good luck.
Regards
Raja
*2/Overload the port field to have instance in the eventual url
This took some figuring out but I cracked it in the end....
SQLServer tab:
Hostname: <servername>
Port: <portnumber>/<databasename>;instance=<instancename>
so for me the Port field looks like this: 1433/Gaffa;instance=SQL01
That should now connect to a named instance SQL Server.
Paul Fairhurst