Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) for Optimal SQL Server Management

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is an indispensable tool for anyone working with Sql Server Sql Server, Azure SQL Database, and Azure Synapse Analytics. This powerful, integrated environment provides a comprehensive suite of tools to manage your entire SQL Server SQL Server infrastructure, whether it’s on-premises or in the cloud. From configuring and monitoring databases to deploying and querying data warehouses, SSMS is your go-to solution for efficient and effective SQL Server SQL Server administration.

Understanding SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

SSMS is more than just a query tool; it’s a complete management hub for your SQL Server SQL Server ecosystem. It empowers database administrators, developers, and analysts to interact with SQL Server SQL Server instances and databases with ease. Whether you are fine-tuning performance, designing complex databases, or simply running ad-hoc queries, SSMS provides the necessary features in a user-friendly interface.

With SSMS, you can:

Configure SQL Server SQL Server: Manage server settings, security configurations, and user permissions across your SQL Server SQL Server environment.
Monitor Performance: Gain insights into SQL Server SQL Server performance through real-time monitoring tools, identify bottlenecks, and optimize your database operations.
Administer Databases: Perform routine administrative tasks like backup and restore, database creation and maintenance, and ensure the health and availability of your SQL Server SQL Server databases.
Deploy Data-Tier Components: Seamlessly deploy database changes, updates, and new features to your SQL Server SQL Server applications.
Build and Debug Queries: Write, test, and optimize T-SQL queries with an advanced query editor, improving the efficiency of your SQL Server SQL Server data retrieval processes.
Design Databases: Visually design and modify database schemas, tables, views, and stored procedures, streamlining the development lifecycle for SQL Server SQL Server applications.
Manage Data Warehouses: Handle large-scale data warehouses in Azure Synapse Analytics and on-premises SQL Server SQL Server, ensuring efficient data management and analysis.

For users who require a cross-platform solution compatible with macOS and Linux, Azure Data Studio offers a complementary experience to SSMS. However, for in-depth SQL Server SQL Server management on Windows, SSMS remains the industry-standard tool.

For the latest enhancements and features, refer to the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2.

Download the Latest SSMS Version: SSMS 20.2

Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2

SSMS 20.2 represents the most current Generally Available (GA) release, ensuring you benefit from the latest features and stability improvements for your SQL Server SQL Server environments. If you have a preview version of SSMS 20 installed, it’s crucial to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation of SSMS 20.2. Importantly, installing SSMS 20.2 will not overwrite or upgrade any previous SSMS versions (19.x and earlier), allowing you to maintain multiple versions side-by-side if needed for different SQL Server SQL Server compatibility requirements.

Release Number: 20.2
Build Number: 20.2.30.0
Release Date: July 9, 2024

By downloading and utilizing SQL Server Management Studio, you are agreeing to the license terms and privacy statement. Your feedback is valuable; to share comments, suggestions, or report issues, the SSMS Developer Community site is the ideal platform to connect with the SSMS team.

SSMS 20.x is designed to coexist with older versions like SSMS 19.x and earlier. This side-by-side installation means you can have multiple SSMS versions available on your system. However, if you were testing an earlier preview build of SSMS 20, ensure you uninstall it before installing the GA release to avoid conflicts. You can verify your current version by navigating to Help > About within SSMS.

To avoid confusion when running different versions, the latest SSMS version is clearly labeled as Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio v20.2.

Important Note: For users of SQL Server Management Studio versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio was automatically included in the installation. This integration allowed users to explore the innovative features of Azure Data Studio. However, starting with SSMS 20.0 and later, Azure Data Studio is no longer bundled with SSMS, giving users the flexibility to install it separately if desired.

To explore Azure Data Studio further, visit What is Azure Data Studio or consult the FAQ.

Language Availability

SSMS 20.2 is available in various languages to cater to a global audience, enhancing accessibility for SQL Server SQL Server professionals worldwide.

If you are viewing this page in a non-English language and wish to access the most up-to-date information, select Read in English at the top of the page. To download SSMS in different languages, refer to the available languages section, which will guide you to localized download options.

Note: The SQL Server PowerShell module, a separate but essential component for SQL Server SQL Server automation, is installed independently via the PowerShell Gallery. For detailed instructions, see Install the SQL Server PowerShell module.

What’s New in SSMS 20.2

Stay informed about the latest improvements and features in SSMS 20.2 by reviewing the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). These release notes provide a comprehensive overview of new functionalities, bug fixes, and performance enhancements, ensuring you are leveraging the full potential of the latest SQL Server SQL Server management tool.

Accessing Previous SSMS Versions

This article focuses on the latest SSMS version. If you need to download earlier versions of SSMS for compatibility with older SQL Server SQL Server instances or specific project requirements, visit Previous SSMS releases. This section provides links to downloads of prior SSMS versions.

Important Security Update: As of December 2021, SSMS versions prior to 18.6 no longer support authentication to Database Engines using Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication (MFA). To maintain MFA security, it is imperative to use SSMS 18.6 or later.

Connectivity to Azure Analysis Services via Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication also requires SSMS 18.5.1 or later. Keeping your SSMS version up to date ensures continued security and access to modern authentication methods for your SQL Server SQL Server and Azure services.

Unattended Installation of SSMS

For automated deployments and streamlined installations across multiple machines, SSMS supports unattended installation through PowerShell. This method allows for silent installations without user interaction, ideal for enterprise environments managing numerous SQL Server SQL Server instances.

Follow these steps to perform a silent background installation of SSMS using PowerShell:

Launch PowerShell as an administrator.

Execute the following command, modifying the $media_path and $install_path variables to match your environment:

$media_path = "<path to SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe>"
$install_path = "<installation root for SSMS files>"
$params = " /Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=$install_path"
Start-Process -FilePath $media_path -ArgumentList $params -Wait

Example:

$media_path = "C:InstallersSSMS-Setup-ENU.exe"
$install_path = "$env:SystemDriveSSMSto"
$params = "/Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=`"$install_path`""
Start-Process -FilePath $media_path -ArgumentList $params -Wait

Using /Passive instead of /Quiet will display the setup UI during installation if you need to monitor progress visually.

Upon successful installation, SSMS will be located at %systemdrive%SSMStoCommon7IDESsms.exe based on the example path. For troubleshooting, examine the error code returned by the command and consult the installation logs in %TEMP%SSMSSetup.

Uninstalling SQL Server Management Studio

When you uninstall SSMS, it’s important to note that certain shared components installed alongside SSMS might not be automatically removed. This is because these components could be utilized by other applications on your system.

These shared components include:

Microsoft OLE DB Driver 18 for SQL Server
Microsoft ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server
Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x86)
Microsoft Visual C++ 2017 Redistributable (x64)
Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019

These components are intentionally left uninstalled to prevent potential disruptions to other software that may rely on them. If necessary, you would need to uninstall these components separately through the Windows Control Panel or Settings app.

SSMS Integration with Azure Data Studio (Versions 18.7 – 19.3)

For SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio was installed by default alongside SSMS. This integration provided users with access to the cross-platform capabilities of Azure Data Studio directly from their SQL Server SQL Server management environment.

The Azure Data Studio installation was skipped if a compatible or newer version was already present on the system, preventing redundant installations.
The specific version of Azure Data Studio bundled with each SSMS release was detailed in the release notes for that SSMS version.
Azure Data Studio’s installer operated under the same security permissions as the SSMS installer.
The installation followed default Azure Data Studio settings, creating a Start Menu folder and adding Azure Data Studio to the system PATH for easy access. A desktop shortcut was not created, and Azure Data Studio was not set as the default editor for any file types by the SSMS installer.
Localization for Azure Data Studio was managed through Language Pack extensions available in the extension marketplace. Users could install language packs to localize the Azure Data Studio interface.
For users who wished to exclude Azure Data Studio from the SSMS installation (versions 18.7 – 19.3), the SSMS installer could be launched with the command-line flag DoNotInstallAzureDataStudio=1.

Supported SQL Server Offerings

This SSMS version is compatible with SQL Server SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and all subsequent versions, ensuring broad compatibility across your SQL Server SQL Server landscape. It is specifically optimized to support the latest cloud features within Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric, making it an ideal tool for modern data estates.

Furthermore, SSMS 20.x can be installed alongside SSMS 19.x, SSMS 18.x, SSMS 17.x, and SSMS 16.x. This flexibility allows you to maintain different SSMS versions for connecting to various SQL Server SQL Server instances, especially when dealing with legacy systems.

For SQL Server SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SSMS 17.x and later versions do not support connections to the older SQL Server Integration Services service. To manage legacy Integration Services versions, use the SSMS version that aligns with the SQL Server SQL Server version. For instance, SSMS 16.x is appropriate for managing SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Integration Services. SSMS 17.x and SSMS 16.x can coexist on the same machine. Since SQL Server 2012 (11.x), the SSIS Catalog database (SSISDB) is the recommended approach for managing SSIS packages. See SSIS Catalog for more information.

SSMS System Requirements

The current SSMS release supports 64-bit platforms and requires the latest service packs for optimal performance and compatibility with SQL Server SQL Server.

Supported Operating Systems:

Windows 11 (x64)
Windows 10 (x64) version 1607 (10.0.14393) and later
Windows Server 2022 (x64)
Windows Server Core 2022 (x64)
Windows Server 2019 (x64)
Windows Server Core 2019 (x64)
Windows Server 2016 (x64)¹

¹ SSMS requires .NET Framework 4.7.2 on Windows Server 2016.

Additional Requirements:

Administrator privileges are necessary for SSMS installation and updates.
Running SSMS in a virtual machine environment requires a full Windows operating system.
Windows containers are not supported for SSMS.
SSMS is not supported within application virtualization solutions like Microsoft App-V, MSIX for Windows, or third-party app virtualization technologies.

Note: To install SSMS on Windows Server Core, the Server Core App Compatibility Feature on Demand must be installed.

Supported Hardware:

Processor: 1.8 GHz or faster x86 (Intel, AMD) processor. Dual-core or better recommended.
RAM: 2 GB of RAM; 4 GB recommended (2.5 GB minimum for virtual machines).
Hard Disk Space: Minimum 3 GB up to 10 GB of available space.

Note: SSMS is provided as a 32-bit application for Windows only. For operating systems other than Windows, Azure Data Studio is recommended. Learn more at Azure Data Studio.

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