connecting to remote server

Hi friends
we've C# app that connects a sql server 2005. we've new requests from client that when users go offsite they still want use our app and connect to sql server.
my question is how can we connect to sql server remotely ?
is it using TCP/IP protocol ? if so how do we do that ?
Thanks for ur help.

Use SQL Server Configuration Manager, select protocols for your instance. On the right side, enable TCP protocol. You need restart the sql server. If you have firewall, don't forget to put your tcp port into exception, (also UDP port 1434 for sql browser if you have a named instance.)

|||Thanks for that Hong.
i've one more question on this.
what should my connection string contain ? should it contain IP address for server name ?
Thanks again|||btw we use patterns and practices library for our database connections.|||Either IP address or server name should work if your DNS works correctly.
Thanks.|||

Thank you very much for ur replies Hong.

still need some clarification as am not fully aware how DNS works .

currently in our connections string we specify our sql server name as "mallu" and other info like database etc.,(btw we use enterprise library for data access)

are you saying that once we open port on our server and allow remote connects abv connection string just works ? i mean say if we our server is in new zealand and user goes to say australia and he still be able connect ?

Thanks for clarification .

much appreciated you can point me to some resource on these issues on net

|||

Hi prk,

DNS is the Domain Name System -- essentially the directory service that translates your hostnames into IP address. Your network probably has one and your network admin should be able to give you more info.

Regardless of the geography, if your server is configured to listen to a remote protocol and the firewall (if any) is configured properly, you should be able to connect from your client app. The BOL contains some great information on how to do so:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms190608.aspx
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187853.aspx

Also, check out this tutorial on connecting to the database:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms345318.aspx

Il-Sung.

|||Il-Sung
wonderful mate. thank you very much for those links.
am looking something like that.will go thru those articles.
Thanks again.