SQL Management Server Download: Your Comprehensive Guide to SSMS

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) stands as the bedrock for managing any SQL infrastructure, ranging from on-premises SQL Servers to cloud-based Azure SQL Databases and beyond. This integrated environment equips database administrators and developers with a robust suite of tools to configure, monitor, and administer SQL Server instances and databases effectively. Whether you need to deploy new database components, keep a close watch on performance, or perform seamless upgrades, SSMS is your go-to solution. It also empowers you to craft intricate queries and scripts to interact with your data.

SSMS provides the versatility to manage databases and data warehouses wherever they reside – be it on your local machine or scaled in the cloud. This central management capability streamlines database operations, ensuring consistency and efficiency across your entire SQL ecosystem.

For those seeking a cross-platform alternative to SSMS, especially for managing SQL and other Azure databases across different operating systems, Azure Data Studio offers a compelling solution. However, for in-depth SQL Server administration on Windows, SSMS remains the industry standard.

To discover the latest enhancements and detailed information about the newest release, delve into the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2. If you’re interested in exploring the cutting edge, you can also find details and download information for the SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview in the Install SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview documentation.

Downloading SSMS: Get Started Now

Ready to leverage the power of SSMS? The most current, generally available (GA) version is easily accessible.

Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2

SSMS 20.2 represents the pinnacle of stability and feature richness. If you happen to have a preview version of SSMS 20 installed, it’s crucial to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation of SSMS 20.2 to avoid conflicts. It’s important to note that installing SSMS 20.2 will not automatically upgrade or replace any older installations of SSMS 19.x or earlier. This allows you to maintain different versions side-by-side if needed for compatibility or testing purposes.

Here are the key details for the current release:

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

By downloading and utilizing SQL Server Management Studio, you automatically agree to the associated license terms and privacy statement. Your feedback is invaluable! If you have any comments, suggestions, or encounter issues, the SSMS team encourages you to reach out via the SSMS Developer Community site. This direct line of communication helps improve the tool for everyone.

Important Considerations Before Downloading

When managing multiple SSMS installations on a single computer, it’s essential to verify that you are launching the intended version for your specific task. The latest version will be clearly labeled as Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio v20.2, ensuring you’re using the most up-to-date features and security enhancements.

For users of SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio was bundled and automatically installed alongside SSMS. This integration allowed users to explore the functionalities of Azure Data Studio. However, starting with SSMS 20.0 and later, Azure Data Studio is no longer automatically included in the SSMS installation. If you wish to use Azure Data Studio, it needs to be downloaded and installed separately.

To delve deeper into Azure Data Studio and its capabilities, explore What is Azure Data Studio or consult the comprehensive FAQ.

Language Availability

SSMS caters to a global audience with its multilingual support. This release of SSMS is installable in a range of languages.

SQL Server Management Studio 20.2 Supported Languages:

[List of supported languages would typically be here, refer to the original article or official documentation for the complete list]

If you are accessing this page from a non-English language version and prefer to view the most current information, simply select Read in English located at the top of the page. For downloading SSMS in different languages, look for the “available languages” link, usually found within the documentation page itself.

Note: For users needing PowerShell capabilities for SQL Server, the SQL Server PowerShell module is distributed separately through the PowerShell Gallery. For detailed instructions on installation, refer to Install the SQL Server PowerShell module.

What’s New in SSMS 20.2?

Eager to know about the latest improvements and features? For comprehensive details on what’s new in this release, consult the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). This section will provide insights into performance enhancements, new functionalities, and bug fixes included in version 20.2.

Accessing Previous SSMS Versions

This guide is focused on the most recent SSMS release. If you require older versions of SSMS for compatibility with legacy systems or specific project needs, you can find them by visiting Previous SSMS releases. This archive provides access to earlier versions, allowing you to download the one that best suits your environment.

Important Note Regarding Older Versions and MFA: It’s critical to be aware that 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 secure access with MFA, upgrading to SSMS 18.6 or later is mandatory. Similarly, connecting to Azure Analysis Services via Microsoft Entra MFA necessitates SSMS 18.5.1 or later. Keeping your SSMS version updated is crucial for both security and access to modern authentication methods.

Unattended Installation of SSMS

For streamlined deployments, especially in enterprise environments, SSMS supports unattended installation using PowerShell. This method allows for silent, background installations without requiring user interaction through a graphical interface.

Follow these steps to perform a silent SSMS installation:

Launch PowerShell as Administrator: Ensure you open PowerShell with elevated administrator privileges.
Execute the Installation Command: Use the following PowerShell command structure, adjusting the paths as necessary for your environment.
```
$media_path = "<path to SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe file>"
$install_path = "<root installation location for SSMS>"
$params = " /Install /Quiet SSMSInstallRoot=$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
```
- Replace <path to SSMS-Setup-ENU.exe file> with the actual path to your downloaded SSMS installer.
- Modify <root installation location for SSMS> to specify the desired installation directory.
For a less silent approach where you can observe the setup progress without full interaction, replace /Quiet with /Passive.
Verification and Troubleshooting: Upon successful installation, SSMS will be located at %systemdrive%SSMStoCommon7IDESsms.exe based on the example paths. If installation issues occur, examine the error code returned by the command and consult the detailed log file located in %TEMP%SSMSSetup for troubleshooting information.

Uninstalling SSMS

When you uninstall SSMS, it’s important to understand that certain shared components might remain on your system. SSMS installation intelligently detects and installs missing shared components necessary for its operation. However, these components are not automatically removed during uninstallation because they might be utilized by other applications.

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 might depend on them. Manual removal of these components should only be considered if you are certain no other applications rely on them.

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

For SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio was integrated directly into the installation process. This meant Azure Data Studio was automatically installed alongside SSMS, providing users with access to both tools.

Conditional Installation: The SSMS installer intelligently checks for existing Azure Data Studio installations. If an equal or more recent version of Azure Data Studio is already present, the bundled installation is skipped to avoid redundancy.
Version Alignment: The specific version of Azure Data Studio included with each SSMS release is documented in the release notes for that SSMS version.
Installation Defaults: The Azure Data Studio installer utilizes default settings, which include creating a Start Menu folder and adding Azure Data Studio to the system PATH environment variable. Notably, a desktop shortcut is not created, and Azure Data Studio is not set as the default editor for any specific file types during this bundled installation.
Localization: Azure Data Studio’s localization is managed through Language Pack extensions. To use Azure Data Studio in a specific language, you need to install the corresponding language pack from the extension marketplace within Azure Data Studio itself.
Skipping Azure Data Studio Installation (Versions 18.7 – 19.3): If you wished to prevent the automatic installation of Azure Data Studio with SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3, you could launch the SSMS installer with the command-line flag DoNotInstallAzureDataStudio=1. This provided flexibility for users who preferred not to install Azure Data Studio or manage its installation separately.

Compatibility with SQL Server Offerings

SSMS is designed to be broadly compatible, supporting a wide range of SQL Server versions and Azure SQL services.

Supported SQL Server Versions: This version of SSMS is compatible with SQL Server 2014 (12.x) and all subsequent versions, including SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2017, SQL Server 2019, and SQL Server 2022. It is optimized to provide the best experience when working with the latest cloud-based features in Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric.
Side-by-Side Installation: SSMS 20.x is designed to coexist peacefully with previous versions. You can have SSMS 20.x installed alongside SSMS 19.x, SSMS 18.x, SSMS 17.x, and SSMS 16.x on the same machine. This is particularly useful for managing environments with different SQL Server versions or for testing compatibility.
SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) Considerations: For managing SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SSMS 17.x and later versions do not support connections to the legacy SQL Server Integration Services service. To manage older, legacy Integration Services installations, you must use an SSMS version that aligns with the SQL Server version. For example, use SSMS 16.x to connect to the legacy SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Integration Services service. Remember that SSMS 17.x and SSMS 16.x can be installed concurrently. For modern SSIS management practices since SQL Server 2012 (11.x), the SSIS Catalog database (SSISDB) is the recommended approach for storing, managing, running, and monitoring SSIS packages. Refer to SSIS Catalog for comprehensive details.

SSMS System Requirements

To ensure optimal performance and compatibility, your system should meet the following requirements for running SSMS:

Supported Operating Systems (64-bit platforms with latest service packs):

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 SSMS requires .NET Framework 4.7.2 on Windows Server 2016.

Additional Requirements:

Administrator Rights: Administrative privileges are necessary for both installing and updating SSMS.
Virtual Machine Support: Running SSMS within a virtual machine environment necessitates a full Windows operating system.
Windows Containers Not Supported: SSMS is not compatible with Windows containers.
Application Virtualization Limitations: SSMS is not supported in application virtualization environments such as Microsoft App-V, MSIX for Windows, or third-party app virtualization technologies.

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

Supported Hardware:

Processor: 1.8 GHz or faster x86 (Intel, AMD) processor. Dual-core or better is recommended for improved performance.
RAM: 2 GB of RAM minimum; 4 GB of RAM is recommended for optimal performance. A minimum of 2.5 GB of RAM is required if running within a virtual machine.
Hard Disk Space: Minimum of 3 GB up to 10 GB of available disk space, depending on selected features and installation options.

Important Note on Architecture: SSMS is exclusively available as a 32-bit application for Windows operating systems. If you require a database management tool that operates on platforms other than Windows, Azure Data Studio is the recommended alternative, offering cross-platform compatibility.

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