Finding What You Need to Use SQL Server CE

Handy reference resources for setting up SQL Server CE and merge replication.

Morris Lewis

June 19, 2001

2 Min Read
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To get started with SQL Server 2000 Windows CE Edition (SQL Server CE), you'll need the following items.

  • A Windows CE device—Common choices are the Casio Cassiopeia E-115, the Hewlett-Packard (HP) Jornada 545/548 Pocket PC, and the Compaq iPAQ Pocket PC 3650. All of these meet the Pocket PC standard for palm-sized devices running Windows CE 3.0. For more details, see http://www.pocketpc.com.

  • ActiveSync 3.1—This software should come with your Windows CE device, but if you have an earlier version of ActiveSync, you can download version 3.1 from http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/pocketpc/downloads/activesync.asp.

  • eMbedded Visual Tools—You need this set of tools to develop applications for all versions of Windows CE. To obtain these tools, go to http://www.microsoft.com/mobile/developer/beginnerdev/tools.asp.

  • SQL Server CE—You need version 1.1 to use my sample application. You can get it at http://www.microsoft.com/sql/productinfo/evaluate.htm.

To develop applications that you can distribute to end users, you'll need the SQL Server 2000 Developer Edition. If you already have a Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Universal subscription, you get the Developer Edition as part of the package, so you don't need to pay anything extra. As of January 2001, you can also obtain eMbedded Visual Tools in your MSDN Universal subscription. To find out more about licensing SQL Server CE, see http://www.microsoft.com/sql/productinfo/pricing.htm. To find out more about subscribing to MSDN, consult http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions.

If you want to test the replication and remote data access (RDA) features of SQL Server CE, you also need to set up Microsoft IIS (see the main article for details). You can use Internet Information Services (IIS) 5.0 with Windows 2000 or Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 with Windows NT. Consult the documentation for Win2K or NT for details.

You can also find more information about configuring replication in these sources:

  • Baya Pavliashvili, "Two-Way Replication with SQL Server 7.0," July 2000, InstantDoc ID 8825

  • Bob Pfeiff and Ted Daley, "Merge Zone," November 1999, InstantDoc ID 6193

  • "Creating Merge Replication Custom Conflict Resolvers Using Visual Basic," http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/techart/custom_resolver_vb.htm

  • The "Replication Architecture" chapter in SQL Server 2000 Books Online (BOL), http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/psdk/sql/8_ar_ra_6u05.htm

  • Microsoft's resource about replication for SQL Server 7.0, http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/replication.htm

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