In a new environment I find I waste a lot of time trying to figure out what everybody already knows. For example, what SQL Server instances are running on a given machine? Is Reporting Services running on this server?
Here’s a handy little script you can paste into a PowerShell window and see what’s on any computer. With a little tinkering you can get it to work on a list of servers — but that’s for another day. Here’s the script:
get-service -computername DWHSQL1`
-displayname “*sql*” `
sort-object -property DisplayName `
format-table -auto
And the results:
| Status | Name | DisplayName |
| Stopped | TSSQLPublisher$Default DM TS | SQL Publisher [Default] |
| Stopped | TSSQLListener$Default DM TS | SQL TCP/IP Listener Service [Default] |
| Stopped | MSSQL$DWHSQL2 | SQL Server (DWHSQL2) |
| Running | MSSQLSERVER | SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) |
| Stopped | MSSQLServerADHelper | SQL Server Active Directory Helper |
| Stopped | SQLAgent$DWHSQL2 | SQL Server Agent (DWHSQL2) |
| Running | SQLSERVERAGENT | SQL Server Agent (MSSQLSERVER) |
| Running | SQLBrowser | SQL Server Browser |
| Stopped | msftesql$DWHSQL2 | SQL Server FullText Search (DWHSQL2) |
As you can see, there are two instances on the server but only one is running, the default instance, DWHSQL1.
If you need to look at another server simply change the computername. You can modify the filtered column (displayname) to suit your needs as well.
You could get the same information by remoting in to the box and looking at services, but this is quicker and easier, especially when you are dealing with several servers.
Check out this tip to search your network for SQL Server instances. It’s a one-liner in PowerShell
http://mssqltips.com/tip.asp?tip=2013
This, however, requires that the SQL Browser service be enabled
Since I don’t rely much on the SQL Browser service, I use this PowerShell script
Get-Content serverList.txt | % {Get-WmiObject Win32_Service -Filter “Name=’MSSQLSERVER'” -computer $_ | Select __SERVER,DisplayName, State}
This will read the serverList.txt file that lists the names of all the servers you have on your network, use the Get-WmiObject cmdlet to query the Win32_Service on all remote computers and display the server host name, service display name and status of the service. With Windows PowerShell, you can even use wildcards especially if you have named instances
Have fun!
Thanks Edwin! Always good to get another tool for the tool chest!