Cannot connect SQL Management Studio Express to the vCenter Server database instance

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Unable to connect SQL Management Studio Express to the vCenter Server database
• Connecting SQL Management Studio Express to the vCenter Server database fails
• You see the error:
  
  A network-related or instance-specific error occurred while establishing a connection to SQL server. The server was not found or was not accessible. Verify that the instance name is correct and that SQL server is configured to allow remote connections.
  
  
• When connecting to the database, you have entered localhost or local in the server name field

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

Resolution

To connect to the vCenter Server database using SQL Server Management Studio Express:

1. Start SQL Server Management Studio Express.
2. If the Connect to Server dialog does not appear, click File > Connect Object Explorer.
3. Enter .\VIM_SQLEXP in the Server Name field.
   
   Note: The default instance name is VIM_SQLEXP .
   
   
4. Click Connect.

Additional Information

For more information, contact Microsoft support. VMware vCenter Server 上の vCenter 用 SQL Express インスタンス (VIM_SQLEXP) へのログインや操作ができない
SQL Management Studio Express を vCenter Server データベース インスタンスに接続できない
无法将 SQL Management Studio Express 连接到 vCenter Server 数据库实例