Install SQL Server Express from WinForms on Button Click

Question

Hopefully I am wording/asking this right.

I have a Winforms, .Net 3.5, app that I am trying to allow the user to kick off a SQL Server Express install from a UNC if they are a laptop. I present them with a screen on first run after the Click Once install. This screen asks them if they are a "Mobile" user. If yes then my app sets up the necessary merge replication sets between there local SQL Server Express and the correct publisher. Initially I have just had SQL Server Express be one of the prerequisites.

However this is unnecessarily bloating the install since not everyone needs SQL Server locally. Instead of having two separate Click Once installs I would like to be able to kick off installing SQL Server from an UNC path if they choose Mobile on my start up screen.

It's not as simple as a Process.Start() is it? Oh, this is an internal app only. Everything is done on our network.

Are you sure you don't want an in-process database engine like sql server compact edition, sqlite, or even Access for your mobile users instead? Express Edition is a server class engine, and installing it on a local machine as a local data store for a single application is usually overkill. — Joel Coehoorn
– Joel Coehoorn, Commented Jan 23, 2012 at 17:00
@Joel I agree about SQL Compact but I would not suggest MS Access anyway... :) — Davide Piras
– Davide Piras, Commented Jan 23, 2012 at 17:01
@david - access can be nice because the core engine is included with windows. There's literally nothing extra to deploy. Compact still has an extra pair of dll files and even sqlite may at least mean including the code with your project. — Joel Coehoorn
– Joel Coehoorn, Commented Jan 23, 2012 at 17:03
@Joel: I agree as well, Compact is what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, our DB setup was not compatible with 3.5 and then 4, while compatible, does not support Merge Replication. It bothers me and I still want to 'get off it' but since this was a ASP.net app that I converted it wasn't designed with Replication in mind. Hence there will be a lot of leg work to get it designed correctly. Thanks for the insight though! — Refracted Paladin
– Refracted Paladin, Commented Jan 23, 2012 at 17:16

SLaks · Accepted Answer · 2012-01-23 17:00:45Z

2

It is as simple as Process.Start().

However, you may want to check the installer documentation and pass command-line options for a silent install.

answered Jan 23, 2012 at 17:00

SLaks

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