Brainlitter » Default (Basic) Databases used by SharePoint Versions

Default (Basic) Databases used by SharePoint Versions

First off, I never install SharePoint (WSS or MOSS) with the default configuration. This would leave me without the ability to grow a farm (and if we implement SharePoint right for an organization, its popularity and use with grow and if it makes us profitable, we’ll need to grow it – as my old boss used to say it is a ‘Happy Problem’.
 
So, here’s what you need to know about the default databases for WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007 – noting especially that using the FREE SQL with WSS 3.0 isn’t a bad idea, but using the FREE SQL with MOSS 2007 is…

  • When you install WSSv3 using the default (Basic) installation it installs all the stuff on a single server and uses “embedded SQL Server 2005 Express” as the database.  This special edition is called “Windows Internal Database” or “WID” and has an unlimited capacity (it is also the same database used by WSUS)

  • When you install MOSS 2007 using the default (Basic) installation it installs all the stuff on a single server and uses “embedded SQL Server 2005 Express” as the database.  However, it is does not use WID – it has the standard 4GB SQL limit (thus you won’t go far using this and changing can be a punishing or at least time consuming effort)

 

Note, if you were to upgrade WSS 3.0 to MOSS 2007, you would (of course) then have a real Microsoft SQL Server (2005 or 2008) on hand.  However, only new databases would end up in SQL Server, while your existing Farm Confirmation and Content Databases would stay in the WID until you move them (you *can* move them of course).