Redistributing - MSDE

I want to develop an app that requires database management. I was initially
planning on using an mdb and the Jet driver. However, MSDE offers more robust
features. For some reason I always thought you could develop apps with MSDE
and freely redistribute. However, I recently read that MSDE "is licensed for
development purposes only". That would seem to indicate I can't redistribute.

Anybody know?

Thanks in advance.

Marina
Fri May 27 12:21:28 CDT 2005

As far as I know, you should be able to redistribute MSDE. At least this is
myunderstanding.

However, you should keep in mind the installation implications of requiring
your users to do this. If your target audience is not IT, then they will
have no clue how to deal with potential issues during installation. And
their IT department will be uncomfortable having MSDE on their users'
machines due to all the security and installation issues that brings along.
If your target audience is IT, then they'll just be against it (or they are
likely to be against it, anyway).

I know this comment was off topic, but just thought I'd mention that it is
not that easy to get acceptance that your app needs to have MSDE. And then
all the installation and management issues (applying security patches and
service packs to MSDE) will be thrown back to you.

Just saying maybe Jet wouldn't be so bad to use given all that :)

"Bob Costello" <BobCostello@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EFBC83DF-14F2-4BF3-BEEF-1C766C047654@microsoft.com...
>I want to develop an app that requires database management. I was initially
> planning on using an mdb and the Jet driver. However, MSDE offers more
> robust
> features. For some reason I always thought you could develop apps with
> MSDE
> and freely redistribute. However, I recently read that MSDE "is licensed
> for
> development purposes only". That would seem to indicate I can't
> redistribute.
>
> Anybody know?
>
> Thanks in advance.

Adrian
Fri May 27 13:02:31 CDT 2005

Bob,

You might want to check out VistaDB. http://www.vistadb.net/default.asp

Ad.

"Bob Costello" <BobCostello@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EFBC83DF-14F2-4BF3-BEEF-1C766C047654@microsoft.com...
>I want to develop an app that requires database management. I was initially
> planning on using an mdb and the Jet driver. However, MSDE offers more
> robust
> features. For some reason I always thought you could develop apps with
> MSDE
> and freely redistribute. However, I recently read that MSDE "is licensed
> for
> development purposes only". That would seem to indicate I can't
> redistribute.
>
> Anybody know?
>
> Thanks in advance.

David
Fri May 27 13:47:42 CDT 2005


"Bob Costello" <BobCostello@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EFBC83DF-14F2-4BF3-BEEF-1C766C047654@microsoft.com...
>I want to develop an app that requires database management. I was initially
> planning on using an mdb and the Jet driver. However, MSDE offers more
> robust
> features. For some reason I always thought you could develop apps with
> MSDE
> and freely redistribute. However, I recently read that MSDE "is licensed
> for
> development purposes only". That would seem to indicate I can't
> redistribute.
>


You can freely redistribute MSDE.

Here's how:

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/msde/howtobuy/msdeuse.mspx

David

BobCostello
Fri May 27 15:52:16 CDT 2005

Thanks for the comments. I guessed that installation might be a problem. But
if I can't even distribute MSDE, I won't have to worry about it.

"Marina" wrote:

> As far as I know, you should be able to redistribute MSDE. At least this is
> myunderstanding.
>
> However, you should keep in mind the installation implications of requiring
> your users to do this. If your target audience is not IT, then they will
> have no clue how to deal with potential issues during installation. And
> their IT department will be uncomfortable having MSDE on their users'
> machines due to all the security and installation issues that brings along.
> If your target audience is IT, then they'll just be against it (or they are
> likely to be against it, anyway).
>
> I know this comment was off topic, but just thought I'd mention that it is
> not that easy to get acceptance that your app needs to have MSDE. And then
> all the installation and management issues (applying security patches and
> service packs to MSDE) will be thrown back to you.
>
> Just saying maybe Jet wouldn't be so bad to use given all that :)
>
> "Bob Costello" <BobCostello@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:EFBC83DF-14F2-4BF3-BEEF-1C766C047654@microsoft.com...
> >I want to develop an app that requires database management. I was initially
> > planning on using an mdb and the Jet driver. However, MSDE offers more
> > robust
> > features. For some reason I always thought you could develop apps with
> > MSDE
> > and freely redistribute. However, I recently read that MSDE "is licensed
> > for
> > development purposes only". That would seem to indicate I can't
> > redistribute.
> >
> > Anybody know?
> >
> > Thanks in advance.
>
>
>

KerryMoorman
Fri May 27 15:58:00 CDT 2005

Bob,

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/msde/howtobuy/msdeuse.mspx

Kerry Moorman

"Bob Costello" wrote:

> I want to develop an app that requires database management. I was initially
> planning on using an mdb and the Jet driver. However, MSDE offers more robust
> features. For some reason I always thought you could develop apps with MSDE
> and freely redistribute. However, I recently read that MSDE "is licensed for
> development purposes only". That would seem to indicate I can't redistribute.
>
> Anybody know?
>
> Thanks in advance.

William
Fri May 27 22:31:03 CDT 2005

This is just wrong--MSDE is freely distributable. If you want to take this
route, I suggest you skip a step and start investigating SQL Express-the
next version of SQL Server designed to replace MSDE. It's also freely
distributable but far easier to deploy and maintain once deployed. There are
new features that make it easier to create specific user instances and other
details that make it the best choice to use instead of Access/JET.

--
____________________________________
William (Bill) Vaughn
Author, Mentor, Consultant
Microsoft MVP
www.betav.com/blog/billva
www.betav.com
Please reply only to the newsgroup so that others can benefit.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
__________________________________

"Bob Costello" <BobCostello@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:EFBC83DF-14F2-4BF3-BEEF-1C766C047654@microsoft.com...
>I want to develop an app that requires database management. I was initially
> planning on using an mdb and the Jet driver. However, MSDE offers more
> robust
> features. For some reason I always thought you could develop apps with
> MSDE
> and freely redistribute. However, I recently read that MSDE "is licensed
> for
> development purposes only". That would seem to indicate I can't
> redistribute.
>
> Anybody know?
>
> Thanks in advance.