How to connect to MICROSOFT##SSEE (Windows Internal Database)

When we run the wizard configuration for SharePoint, we have 2 options to install: Web Front-End and Standard. For Web Front-End, we will use a specific SQL server, database and account to login. For standard, we needn't install SQL Server, so we won't specify SQL Server name, database and account, SharePoint will install a minimum SQL server with windows authentication. You never know what the server name is, however, you can open Registy Editor to see the currently server name SharePoint is using.

[To open Registry Editor from Windows Start -> Run -> type Regedit and then press Enter] Expand the following path:

[SharePoint 2007] HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\12.0\Secure\ConfigDB

[SharePoint 2010] HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\14.0\Secure\ConfigDB

On the left handsite, you will see the property DNS with the value like this:

Data Source=WSS2K3X86Final\Microsoft##SSEE;Initial Catalog=SharePoint_Config_d3e9e3d0-4d67-48fb-9242-4e46b0021086;Integrated Security=True;Enlist=False

Yeah, for now you can install SQL Server on that server to try to connect to SharePoint Standard server with  server name above. The result is "can not connect to database server"!

In fact, SSEE means SharePoint Service Embedded Edition server, it's connected through Name Pipe. To find out the name pipe server, the following step to show you.

1) Run SQL Server Configuration Manager:

The Windows Internal Database is connecting to MICROSOFT##SSEE is currently to use for SharePoint. Now, click on Protocols for Microsoft##SSEE

2) The name pipe shows as following picture:

3) Double click on Name Pipes to see the server link to connect:

Now, you can connect to \\.\pipe\MSSQL$MICROSOFT##SSEE\sql\query