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I am developing a fat client application. This application stores data locally and then updates information from a central repository. This client application is stored on a number of workstations. I have used SQL Server CE but found that it is a bit slow with regards to performance. I tested SQL Express and there is substantial performance improvement.

Is it OK to install SQL Server Express on a client machine? or is this more intended towards a server environment. Can I package SQL Server Express as part of the setup processes?

marc_s
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Joseph Caruana
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  • Just for sure: all clients share the _same_ database? – Gert Arnold Nov 24 '12 at 18:44
  • They share the same centralized db but have their own local db – Joseph Caruana Nov 24 '12 at 18:45
  • It is for occasionally connected clients – Joseph Caruana Nov 24 '12 at 18:45
  • When using sql-ce, can an upgrade completely replace the previous database (instructing users to sync to central first)? With express you'd always have to run local upgrade scripts when the database schema changes. – Gert Arnold Nov 24 '12 at 18:51
  • thanks for your comment. yes the upgrade can be done – Joseph Caruana Nov 24 '12 at 18:55
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    Then using express has considerable drawbacks as opposed to ce. Making it part of the setup sounds complicated. The need for upgrade scripts is more complicated and all clients will continually have a sql server service running, taking its share of system resources. It all depends on how heavy the performance gain is weighted. – Gert Arnold Nov 24 '12 at 19:02
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    There's nothing stopping you from dropping and recreating the database hosed in SQL Server Express when the schema changes, the same way you would recreate it on SQL Server Compact. In fact if you use User Instances or LocalDB you can just replace the MDF/LDF files and ask the user to sync down the data. – Krzysztof Kozielczyk Nov 24 '12 at 21:05

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