How to determine Registry "root" for SQL Server instance?

(SQL Server 2000, SP3a)
Hello all!
I have a need to try and determine the appropriate Registry "root" for the c
urrent
connection. For example, on my local machine, the way I installed SQL Serve
r yields a
Registry entry like:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MS
SQLServer
However, on a machine in a clustered environment, the Registry entry looks l
ike:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Mi
crosoft SQL Server\MyIstance01
Is there an easy way to obtain this Registry value from within the current S
QL Server
connection context? That is, if I'm connected to a specific instance with Q
uery Analyzer,
is there some setting I can query (either through SQL Server itself or xp_re
gread) that
will reveal the correct Registry "root" for the current connection?
Thanks for any help you can provide!
John PetersonJohn,
Can't you just use xp_instance_regread and xp_instance_regwrite?
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
"John Peterson" <j0hnp@.comcast.net> wrote in message news:O9vN225WEHA.1356@.TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.
gbl...
> (SQL Server 2000, SP3a)
> Hello all!
> I have a need to try and determine the appropriate Registry "root" for the
current
> connection. For example, on my local machine, the way I installed SQL Ser
ver yields a
> Registry entry like:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MS
SQLServer
> However, on a machine in a clustered environment, the Registry entry looks
like:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Mi
crosoft SQL Server\MyIstance01
> Is there an easy way to obtain this Registry value from within the current
SQL Server
> connection context? That is, if I'm connected to a specific instance with
Query Analyzer,
> is there some setting I can query (either through SQL Server itself or xp_
regread) that
> will reveal the correct Registry "root" for the current connection?
> Thanks for any help you can provide!
> John Peterson
>|||Tibor
Where is it documented? Did not find it on BOL. It requires a parameter.
"Tibor Karaszi" <tibor_please.no.email_karaszi@.hotmail.nomail.com> wrote in
message news:eoY8V1NXEHA.1128@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> John,
> Can't you just use xp_instance_regread and xp_instance_regwrite?
> --
> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
> http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
>
> "John Peterson" <j0hnp@.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:O9vN225WEHA.1356@.TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
the current[vbcol=seagreen]
Server yields a[vbcol=seagreen]
looks like:[vbcol=seagreen]
current SQL Server[vbcol=seagreen]
with Query Analyzer,[vbcol=seagreen]
xp_regread) that[vbcol=seagreen]
>|||It is not documented (John, be warned...), so you have to search Google, spy
on EM using Profiler
and all the usual things to find out how to use it...
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
"Uri Dimant" <urid@.iscar.co.il> wrote in message news:usLjmjOXEHA.3012@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl.
.
> Tibor
> Where is it documented? Did not find it on BOL. It requires a parameter.
> "Tibor Karaszi" <tibor_please.no.email_karaszi@.hotmail.nomail.com> wrote i
n
> message news:eoY8V1NXEHA.1128@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> news:O9vN225WEHA.1356@.TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> the current
> Server yields a
> looks like:
> current SQL Server
> with Query Analyzer,
> xp_regread) that
>|||Thanks Tibor! I wasn't aware of such a thing; it sounds like exactly what I
'm looking
for -- I'll do some "digging"! :-)
"Tibor Karaszi" <tibor_please.no.email_karaszi@.hotmail.nomail.com> wrote in
message
news:%237vyGaPXEHA.1888@.TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> It is not documented (John, be warned...), so you have to search Google, spy on EM
using
Profiler
> and all the usual things to find out how to use it...
> --
> Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
> http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
> http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
>
> "Uri Dimant" <urid@.iscar.co.il> wrote in message
news:usLjmjOXEHA.3012@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>|||Hmmm...this doesn't seem to be doing the right thing in our clustered enviro
nment, and I'm
not quite sure why. Consider the following:
execute master.dbo.xp_instance_regread
N'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE',
N'Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\MSSQLSe
rver',
N'DefaultData'
When I run that on any of our servers that have just a default instance, it
appears to
work just fine. However, If I try to run that in our clustered environment
with named
instances, I get:
Msg 22001, Level 1, State 22001
RegQueryValueEx() returned error 2, 'The system cannot find the file specifi
ed.'
(0 row(s) affected)
Which leads me to believe that the specified key does not exist on the syste
m. But, if I
don't know what the appropriate key *is*, how do I find it?
Thanks for any additional help you can provide!
John Peterson
"John Peterson" <j0hnp@.comcast.net> wrote in message
news:u7muiPRXEHA.3112@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> Thanks Tibor! I wasn't aware of such a thing; it sounds like exactly what
I'm looking
> for -- I'll do some "digging"! :-)
>
> "Tibor Karaszi" <tibor_please.no.email_karaszi@.hotmail.nomail.com> wrote i
n message
> news:%237vyGaPXEHA.1888@.TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
using[vbcol=seagreen]
> Profiler
> news:usLjmjOXEHA.3012@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>|||Did you run Profiler while doing the same in EM? I'd not aware of any differ
ence regarding these if
you are on a cluster.

> Which leads me to believe that the specified key does not exist on the sys
tem. But, if I
> don't know what the appropriate key *is*, how do I find it?
I'm afraid that I don't follow you here...
Tibor Karaszi, SQL Server MVP
http://www.karaszi.com/sqlserver/default.asp
http://www.solidqualitylearning.com/
"John Peterson" <j0hnp@.comcast.net> wrote in message news:O9m0IiRXEHA.1496@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.
gbl...
> Hmmm...this doesn't seem to be doing the right thing in our clustered envi
ronment, and I'm
> not quite sure why. Consider the following:
> execute master.dbo.xp_instance_regread
> N'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE',
> N'Software\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\MSSQLSe
rver',
> N'DefaultData'
> When I run that on any of our servers that have just a default instance, i
t appears to
> work just fine. However, If I try to run that in our clustered environmen
t with named
> instances, I get:
> Msg 22001, Level 1, State 22001
> RegQueryValueEx() returned error 2, 'The system cannot find the file speci
fied.'
> (0 row(s) affected)
> Which leads me to believe that the specified key does not exist on the sys
tem. But, if I
> don't know what the appropriate key *is*, how do I find it?
> Thanks for any additional help you can provide!
> John Peterson
>
> "John Peterson" <j0hnp@.comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:u7muiPRXEHA.3112@.tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
> using
>