Question about SQL 2008

[NetGuySC]

I have a guy building a database for me. This database will have an access front end and the back end will be stored on a hosted sql 2008 server.

He gave me the details of the server and explained that it only allows 4 users, but each user can have unlimited connections. This database will be used by 10-12 employess.

Can someone explain the 4 users with unlimited connection to me in a way that I can understand. I have an extremely limited knowledge of sql.

The database guy assures me that all employees can be on the database at the same time and that we would be able to track what each user has done.
I would just like to understand how a user can have unlimited connections to a sql database, and how this would relate to the twelve employees in my department.

 

[Nothinman]

I know of no limitations of MS SQL with regards to total number of users.

 

[leeland]

I am in agreement with nothinman...there is no limit that I am aware of that constrains the connection limit to 4...or any other number for that fact.


I guess if you can ask for a technical explanation that would be a little more for us to go on...maybe it is by how he is designing it...

 

[Markbnj]

http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/licensing-faq.aspx

 

[NetGuySC]

Below is a what I pasted from an email from edthosting explaining what the account we signed up for entails. maybe this helps explain my confusion


Hosting Space Overview
> ======================
> General hosting space limits:
> Disk Space, MB: 10000
> Bandwidth, MB/Month: 100000
> Maximum Number of Domains: 2
> Maximum Number of Sub-Domains: 2
>




SQL Server 2008
> ---------------
> Maximum Number of Databases: 2
> Maximum Number of Users: 4
>
> In order to connect to SQL Server 2008 from Management
> Studio, Enterprise Manager, Query Analyzer or other client
> software you can use the following SQL Server address:

 

[KLin]

Has to be licensing.

 

[NetGuySC]

Thanks everyone for trying .. appreciate it

 

[Nothinman]

http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/2008/en/us/licensing-faq.aspx

Just another reason why I hate MS, no one actually understands their licensing.

 

[NetGuySC]

Here is a response to the 4 user question from tech support. I interpret this to mean flexibility and not a problem for my database as far as how employees can use the database at one time.


"In SQL you usually have a single user that multible processes and users use to change information in your database. We offer 4 so you can have multible roles, such as a database owner, public, etc.."

 

[Nothinman]

Ah, so they'll likely be using 1 SQL account for user access and the actual end users will be defined in a table and managed/enforced by the application itself.

 

[Markbnj]

Just another reason why I hate MS, no one actually understands their licensing.

Haha, I posted it because I thought it would help... and then I went back and actually read some of it and thought the same thing you did.

But to be fair, there are almost no licenses that anybody understands.

The main reason for posting that link is that it talks about the client access licenses, which seemed to be the main point.

Not that I understand them either.

 

[Nothinman]

But to be fair, there are almost no licenses that anybody understands.

Commercial licenses? Probably not, but of free software licenses, the core ones aren't very difficult to understand.

 

[Evadman]

It means there can only be 4 SQL server logins (logins to the SQL server database directly), but the application itself logs intot he sql server using the same SQL server credentials. The application will need to keep track of the users themselves using a login table or the like.

Most database applications work that way. A user logs into the application, and the application logs into the database.

 

[NetGuySC]

So all of this translates into that I will not have any issues as to how many people are using the database concurrently correct?

 

[VinylxScratches]

I bet you can have 4 user accounts interacting with the DB and unlimited users using the DB from the application stand point.