[thelist] Getting SQL Servers

[Scott Dexter]

> 
> I still haven't figured out how to search a LAN for available 
> SQL Servers,

(note this is an NT/2K + MS SQL Server approach, but based on context it's
okay)

There's pulling up the lists of linked and remote servers registered to the
one you're talking to (sp_linkedservers and sp_helpserver, respectively),
but that doesn't guarantee you have all of them...

 ...there's brute force, scanning ip's for services on port 1433 (SQL Server
default) ... basically getting a list of machines in the Domain (through NT
api calls) and attempting to connect to them, one at a time, and track which
machines you could log into.

and (real stab in the dark) maybe something with SNMP and maybe SMS that you
could lean on? (I'd favor researching SMS first, dunno much about SNMP or
even if SQL Server emits SNMP packets)

Interesting conundrum, but I bet even this wheel has been invented (which
means the answer /is/ out there, no X-Files reference intended)

sgd