Maximize Your SQL Server Management with SSMS: A Comprehensive Guide

SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is your go-to integrated environment for efficiently managing any SQL infrastructure. Whether you’re working with SQL Server, Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Synapse Analytics, SQL analytics endpoint in Microsoft Fabric, or Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric, SSMS provides the essential tools. It empowers you to configure, monitor, and administer your SQL Server instances and databases with ease. Leverage SSMS to deploy, monitor, and upgrade data-tier components for all your applications, and to build powerful queries and scripts that drive your data operations.

With SSMS, you gain the ability to query, design, and manage your databases and data warehouses irrespective of their location – be it on your local machine or in the cloud. This flexibility makes SSMS an indispensable tool for database professionals working across diverse environments.

For users seeking a cross-platform solution that complements SSMS for managing SQL and various Azure databases, Azure Data Studio is an excellent alternative, offering broad compatibility and modern features.

To explore the latest enhancements and detailed information about this release, refer to the Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2.

For specific details and download information regarding SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview 1, see Install SQL Server Management Studio 21 Preview.

Download the Latest SSMS Version

Download SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 20.2

SSMS 20.2 represents the most recent Generally Available (GA) version, ensuring you have access to the most stable and feature-rich experience. If you are currently running a preview version of SSMS 20, it’s crucial to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation of SSMS 20.2 to avoid conflicts. Importantly, installing SSMS 20.2 will not upgrade or replace any existing SSMS 19.x or earlier versions, allowing you to maintain older versions if needed.

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 provided by Microsoft. Should you have any feedback, suggestions, or issues to report, the SSMS team encourages you to reach out via the SSMS Developer Community site, which is the most effective channel for direct communication.

The installation process for SSMS 20.x is designed to coexist with previous installations of SSMS 19.x and earlier versions. This side-by-side installation means you can have multiple versions of SSMS available on your system simultaneously. However, if you’re updating from a prior preview build of SSMS 20, you must first uninstall the preview version to ensure a clean and successful installation of the latest SSMS 20.2 release. To verify if you have a preview version installed, simply navigate to the Help > About window within SSMS.

When running multiple SSMS installations concurrently, it’s vital to confirm you are launching the correct version tailored to your current tasks. The latest version is clearly identified as Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio v20.2.

Important Note: For users of SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) versions 18.7 through 19.3, Azure Data Studio was automatically bundled with SSMS. This integration allowed SSMS users to explore and utilize the innovative features of Azure Data Studio. Azure Data Studio is designed as a cross-platform, open-source desktop tool ideal for managing environments across cloud, on-premises, or hybrid setups. Starting with SSMS 20.0 and later, Azure Data Studio is no longer automatically installed with SSMS.

To delve deeper into Azure Data Studio’s capabilities, explore What is Azure Data Studio or consult the FAQ for common questions and answers.

Language Availability

SSMS 20.2 is localized and available in multiple languages to cater to a global user base.

SQL Server Management Studio 20.2:

If you are viewing this page in a non-English language and wish to access the most current information, select Read in English located at the top of the page. To download SSMS in different languages, refer to the available languages section, which lists all supported language versions.

Note: The SQL Server PowerShell module is distributed separately through the PowerShell Gallery. For detailed instructions on installing and using this module, see Install the SQL Server PowerShell module.

What’s New in SSMS 20.2?

Stay updated with the newest features and improvements in SSMS. For a comprehensive overview of what’s new in this release, please visit Release notes for SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). This section details all the enhancements and changes included in the latest version.

Accessing Previous SSMS Versions

This documentation focuses exclusively on the latest SSMS version. If you need to download or reference previous versions of SSMS, you can find them at Previous SSMS releases. This archive provides access to older versions for compatibility with legacy systems or specific requirements.

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

Azure Analysis Services Connectivity: Connecting to Azure Analysis Services via Microsoft Entra multifactor authentication requires SSMS 18.5.1 or later to ensure compatibility and secure access.

Unattended Installation of SSMS

For automated deployments and silent installations, SSMS supports unattended installation via PowerShell.

Follow these steps to perform a silent background installation of SSMS without any graphical user interface prompts:

Open PowerShell with administrator privileges.

Execute the following commands, adjusting the paths as needed:

$media_path = "<path to ssms-setup-enu.exe>"
$install_path = "<installation root 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

Alternatively, replace /Quiet with /Passive to display a basic setup UI during installation while still automating the process.

Upon successful installation, SSMS will be located at %systemdrive%SSMStoCommon7IDESsms.exe as per the example. If errors occur, check the returned error code and review the installation logs in %TEMP%SSMSSetup for troubleshooting details.

Uninstalling SSMS

When you uninstall SSMS, it’s important to note that some shared components installed alongside SSMS might not be automatically removed.

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 because they might be shared with other applications on your system. Uninstalling them could potentially cause issues with other software that relies on these shared components. You’ll need to uninstall these components separately if you wish to remove them entirely.

Integration of Azure Data Studio with SSMS

SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3 included Azure Data Studio as part of their default installation package. However, this is no longer the case with SSMS 20.0 and later versions.
- If a compatible or newer version of Azure Data Studio is already present on the system, the SSMS installer will skip the Azure Data Studio installation to avoid redundancy.
- To identify the specific version of Azure Data Studio included with particular SSMS versions, refer to the release notes.
The Azure Data Studio installer requires the same administrative security rights as the SSMS installer to proceed with installation.
Azure Data Studio is installed using its default settings, which include creating a Start Menu folder and adding Azure Data Studio to the system PATH environment variable. Note that a desktop shortcut is not created, and Azure Data Studio is not set as the default application for any file types by default.
Azure Data Studio supports localization through Language Pack extensions. To localize Azure Data Studio, install the appropriate language pack from the extension marketplace.
For SSMS versions 18.7 through 19.3, you could bypass the Azure Data Studio installation by launching the SSMS installer with the command-line flag DoNotInstallAzureDataStudio=1. This option is not applicable for SSMS 20.0 and later.

Supported SQL Server Offerings

This SSMS version 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 specifically optimized to support the latest cloud capabilities within Azure SQL Database, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Microsoft Fabric, ensuring you can manage both on-premises and cloud-based SQL server environments effectively.
Furthermore, SSMS 20.x is designed to be installed alongside SSMS 19.x, SSMS 18.x, SSMS 17.x, and SSMS 16.x, providing flexibility for users who need to maintain compatibility with different SQL Server versions.
For SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), SSMS versions 17.x and later do not support connections to the legacy SQL Server Integration Services service. To manage earlier versions of Integration Services, use an SSMS version that aligns with the SQL Server version. For instance, use SSMS 16.x to connect to SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Integration Services. Both 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 method for managing, storing, running, and monitoring SSIS packages. For more information, consult SSIS Catalog.

SSMS System Requirements

The current SSMS release is designed to operate on 64-bit platforms and requires the latest service packs for optimal performance and compatibility.

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. Ensure this is installed prior to SSMS setup.

Additional Requirements:

Administrator rights are necessary for installing or updating SSMS.
Running SSMS in a virtual machine environment necessitates a full Windows operating system.
Windows containers are not supported for SSMS.
SSMS is not compatible with application virtualization solutions such as Microsoft App-V, MSIX for Windows, or any third-party app virtualization technologies.

Note: To install SSMS on Windows Server Core, you must first enable the Server Core App Compatibility Feature on Demand. This feature is essential for providing the necessary components for SSMS to run on Server Core.

Supported Hardware:

Processor: 1.8 GHz or faster x86 (Intel, AMD) processor. Dual-core or better is recommended for enhanced performance.
Memory: 2 GB of RAM minimum; 4 GB RAM is recommended for optimal performance, especially in demanding scenarios. A minimum of 2.5 GB RAM is required if running within a virtual machine.
Hard Disk Space: Requires a minimum of 3 GB up to 10 GB of available disk space, depending on the features installed and system configuration.

Note: SSMS is exclusively available as a 32-bit application for Windows platforms. For users needing a tool that operates on non-Windows operating systems, Azure Data Studio is recommended. Visit Azure Data Studio for more information on its cross-platform capabilities.

Get Help and Support for SQL Tools

For comprehensive assistance, tutorials, and community support related to SQL tools, Microsoft offers a range of resources. The Microsoft SQL documentation is an excellent starting point for in-depth information and guides. Additionally, the SQL Server community forums provide a platform to ask questions, share knowledge, and connect with other SQL Server professionals. These resources are invaluable for both new and experienced SSMS users seeking to maximize their SQL server management capabilities.

Contribute to SQL Documentation

Did you know that you have the opportunity to contribute directly to SQL documentation? By participating, you not only help improve the quality and accuracy of our documentation but also receive recognition as a contributor to the page. Your expertise and insights can benefit the broader SQL community.

For details on how to contribute and get started, see Edit Microsoft Learn documentation. Your contributions are highly valued and help make SQL Server documentation better for everyone.