Download Server Management Studio: Your Comprehensive Guide

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) stands as a cornerstone tool for managing your entire SQL infrastructure, encompassing everything from on-premises SQL Servers to cloud-based Azure SQL Databases. This integrated environment equips you with the necessary tools to configure, monitor, and administer SQL Server instances and databases effectively. Whether you need to deploy and manage data-tier components for your applications, or construct intricate queries and scripts, Server Management Studio provides a robust and versatile platform.

Leverage Server Management Studio to effortlessly query, design, and manage your databases and data warehouses, irrespective of their location – be it your local machine or a cloud environment. It offers a unified interface to handle all your database management needs.

For users seeking a cross-platform alternative to SSMS, particularly for managing SQL and other Azure databases, Azure Data Studio presents a compelling option. This tool offers flexibility across different operating systems while still providing powerful database management capabilities.

To delve deeper into the latest enhancements and features incorporated in this release, refer to the comprehensive Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2.

For detailed information and download access to SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview 1, consult Install SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview.

Download SSMS

Download Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2

SSMS 20.2 represents the most current Generally Available (GA) version. If you are currently utilizing a preview version of SSMS 20, it is crucial to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation of SSMS 20.2. It’s important to note that installing SSMS 20.2 will not upgrade or replace any existing SSMS 19.x or earlier versions you may have installed.

Release number: 20.2
Build number: 20.2.30.0
Release date: July 9, 2024

By choosing to use SQL Server Management Studio, you automatically agree to adhere to its license terms and privacy statement. For any feedback, suggestions, or to report any issues you encounter, the SSMS development team encourages you to utilize the SSMS Developer Community site as the primary channel of communication.

The installation process for SSMS 20.x is designed to coexist with previous versions, specifically SSMS 19.x and earlier. This means that installing SSMS 20.x will not remove or upgrade older installations; instead, both versions will be available for use on your system. However, if you have a prior preview version of SSMS 20 installed, you must manually uninstall it before installing the latest GA release of SSMS 20 to avoid potential conflicts. You can easily verify if you have a preview version installed by navigating to the Help > About window within SSMS.

In environments where multiple SSMS installations exist side-by-side, it is essential to confirm that you are launching the correct version tailored to your specific requirements. The latest version is clearly identified as Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio v20.2.

Important consideration for users of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) versions 18.7 through 19.3: Azure Data Studio is automatically installed alongside SSMS. This integration allows SSMS users to take advantage of the innovative features and capabilities offered by Azure Data Studio, a cross-platform and open-source desktop tool designed for diverse environments, including cloud, on-premises, and hybrid setups.

To gain a deeper understanding of Azure Data Studio, explore What is Azure Data Studio or consult the FAQ for detailed information.

Available Languages

This particular release of Server Management Studio offers installation in a variety of languages to cater to a global user base.

SQL Server Management Studio 20.2 supports the following languages:

[List of languages from original article would be inserted here if available]

If you are accessing this page in a language other than English and wish to access the most current content, simply select Read in English located at the top of the page. To download SSMS in different languages, please navigate to the available languages section for selection.

Note: The SQL Server PowerShell module is distributed and installed separately through the PowerShell Gallery. For detailed instructions and more information, refer to Install the SQL Server PowerShell module.

What’s New in Server Management Studio

For in-depth details and comprehensive information regarding the new features, enhancements, and changes included in this release of Server Management Studio, consult the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). This document provides a detailed overview of all the updates.

Previous Versions of SSMS

This article specifically addresses the most recent version of SSMS. To download and access previous versions of Server Management Studio, please visit Previous SSMS releases. This page provides an archive of older versions for users who may require them.

Note for users of older SSMS versions: As of December 2021, versions of SSMS released prior to 18.6 are no longer capable of authenticating to Database Engines using Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication (MFA). To maintain uninterrupted MFA functionality, it is necessary to upgrade to SSMS 18.6 or later.

Furthermore, connectivity to Azure Analysis Services via Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication mandates the use of SSMS 18.5.1 or later. Ensure your SSMS version meets these requirements for continued compatibility with MFA.

Unattended Installation of SSMS

Server Management Studio can be installed in an automated fashion using PowerShell, which is particularly useful for deployments across multiple machines or for scripting installation processes.

To perform a silent, background installation of SSMS without any graphical user interface prompts, follow these steps:

Initiate PowerShell with administrator privileges. This is essential for the installation process to proceed correctly.

Execute the following command, carefully adjusting the paths to match your environment:

$media_path = "<path to ssms-setup-enu.exe file location>"
$install_path = "<root location where SSMS files will be installed>"
$params = " /Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=$install_path"
Start-Process -FilePath $media_path -ArgumentList $params -Wait

For example, a typical installation command might look like this:

$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

Alternatively, you can replace /Quiet with /Passive if you wish to observe the setup UI during the installation process, although it will still require minimal interaction.

Upon successful execution, Server Management Studio will be installed in the directory specified by $install_path. Based on the example provided, you would find the executable at %systemdrive%SSMStoCommon7IDESsms.exe. In the event of any issues, you can examine the returned error code and consult the detailed log file located at %TEMP%SSMSSetup for troubleshooting.

Uninstalling Server Management Studio

During the installation of SSMS, certain shared components may be installed if the installer detects their absence on the system. It’s important to be aware that the SSMS uninstallation process does not automatically remove these shared components.

The shared components associated with SSMS 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 not uninstalled automatically because they may be utilized and shared by other applications and products on your system. Removing them could potentially cause disruptions or instability in other software that depends on them. Therefore, these components must be uninstalled separately if desired, considering potential dependencies.

Integration with Azure Data Studio

For SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio is included and installed by default alongside Server Management Studio. However, starting with SSMS 20.0 and later versions, Azure Data Studio is no longer bundled with the SSMS installer.
- If a version of Azure Data Studio equal to or newer than the bundled version is already present on the system, the Azure Data Studio installation by SSMS is automatically skipped to prevent redundancy and conflicts.
- To identify the specific version of Azure Data Studio bundled with SSMS for versions where it is included, refer to the release notes.
The Azure Data Studio system installer operates under the same security permission requirements as the SSMS installer, ensuring a consistent and secure installation process.
The installation of Azure Data Studio proceeds with its default installation settings. These standard settings include the creation of a Start Menu folder for easy access and adding Azure Data Studio to the system PATH environment variable, enabling command-line launch. Notably, a desktop shortcut is not created by default, and Azure Data Studio is not set as the default editor for any specific file types during this automated installation.
Localization of Azure Data Studio, meaning its adaptation to different languages, is achieved through Language Pack extensions. To use Azure Data Studio in a specific language, you need to install the corresponding language pack extension from the extension marketplace within Azure Data Studio itself.
For users of SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3 who wish to prevent the automatic installation of Azure Data Studio, the SSMS installer can be launched with the command-line flag DoNotInstallAzureDataStudio=1. This option provides control over whether Azure Data Studio is installed during the SSMS setup process.

Supported SQL Server Offerings

This version of Server Management Studio is compatible with SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and all subsequent versions. It is specifically engineered to provide optimal support for utilizing the latest cloud-based features available in Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric.
Furthermore, SSMS 20.x is designed to be installed concurrently with previous versions, including SSMS 19.x, SSMS 18.x, SSMS 17.x, and SSMS 16.x. This side-by-side installation capability allows users to maintain access to older SSMS versions if required for specific tasks or compatibility reasons.
Regarding SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), it’s important to note that SSMS 17.x and later versions do not offer support for connecting to the legacy SQL Server Integration Services service. To manage and connect to earlier, legacy versions of Integration Services, you must utilize the version of SSMS that aligns with the specific version of SQL Server you are targeting. For example, SSMS 16.x is required to connect to the legacy SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Integration Services service. It’s worth noting that SSMS 17.x and SSMS 16.x can coexist on the same machine, providing flexibility for managing different SSIS environments. Since the introduction of SQL Server 2012 (11.x), the SSIS Catalog database, known as SSISDB, has become the recommended and modern approach for storing, managing, executing, and monitoring Integration Services packages. For more detailed information on this modern approach, refer to SSIS Catalog.

SSMS System Requirements

The current release of Server Management Studio is designed to operate on the following 64-bit platforms, ensuring compatibility when used with the latest available service packs for these operating systems:

Supported Operating Systems:

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

¹ Note: SSMS requires .NET Framework 4.7.2 or a later version to be installed on Windows Server 2016.

Additional System Requirements:

Installation and updates of SSMS necessitate administrator rights on the system.
Running SSMS within a virtual machine environment requires a full, supported Windows operating system. Server Core installations might have limitations.
Windows containers are not a supported platform for running SSMS.
SSMS is not designed or supported for use within application virtualization solutions such as Microsoft App-V or MSIX for Windows, nor with any third-party application virtualization technologies.

Note for Windows Server Core users: To successfully install SSMS on Windows Server Core, it is mandatory to install the Server Core App Compatibility Feature on Demand. This feature adds necessary components for application compatibility.

Supported Hardware:

Processor: 1.8 GHz or faster x86 (Intel, AMD) processor. Dual-core or better is recommended for optimal performance.
RAM: 2 GB of RAM is the minimum requirement; 4 GB of RAM is recommended for a smoother experience. If running within a virtual machine, a minimum of 2.5 GB of RAM is advised.
Hard Disk Space: A minimum of 3 GB up to 10 GB of available hard disk space may be required, depending on the features installed and system configuration.

Note: Server Management Studio is exclusively available as a 32-bit application for the Windows operating system. If you require a database management tool that can run on operating systems other than Windows, Azure Data Studio is highly recommended. For further details, visit Azure Data Studio.

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For more information on how to participate and contribute, please refer to Edit Microsoft Learn documentation.