You use SQL Server groups to organize sets of SQL servers. You define these server groups, and you can organize them by function, department, or any other criteria. Creating a server group is easy. You can even create subgroups within a group, and if you make a mistake, you can delete groups as well.
In SQL Server Management Studio, you use Registered Servers view to work with server groups. To use this view or to display it if it is hidden, press Ctrl+Alt+G.
The top-level groups are already created for you, based on the SQL Server instances. Use the Registered Servers toolbar to switch between the various top-level groups. These top-level groups are organized by SQL Server instance:
Database Engine
Analysis Services
Reporting Services
SQL Server Mobile Edition Database
Integration Services
Although you can add registered servers directly to the top-level groups (as explained in the section titled "Managing Servers" later in this chapter), in a large enterprise with many SQL Server instances, you will probably want to create additional levels in the server group hierarchy. These additional levels make it easier to access and work with your SQL servers. You can use the following types of organizational models:
Division or business unit model. In this model, group names reflect the divisions or business units to which the SQL servers belong or in which they are located. For example, you could have Engineering, IS, Operations, and Support server groups.
Geographic location model. In this model, group names reflect the geographic location of SQL servers, such as North America and Europe. You could have additional levels under North America for USA, Canada, and Mexico, for example, and levels under Europe could include UK, Germany, and Spain.
Subgroups are organized under their primary group. Under Database Engine, you might have Engineering and Operations groups. Within Engineering, you might have Dev, Test, and Core subgroups.
You can create a server group or a subgroup by completing the following steps:
In the Console Root pane (the left pane of the SQL Server Management Studio window), select Registered Servers view by pressing Ctrl+Alt+G. If the view was previously hidden, this also displays the view.
Use the Registered Servers toolbar to select the top-level group in which you will create the new group. For example, if you want to create a second-level or third-level group for Database Engine instances, select Database Engine.
Right-click in Registered Servers view. Point to New, and then choose Server Group to display the New Server Group dialog box shown in Figure 5-4.
In the New Server Group dialog box, type a name and description for the new group in the boxes provided.
In the Select A Location For The New Server Group area, you will see the names of the top-level server group and any second-level server groups that you created. You can now:
Add the server group to one of the top-level or second-level groups by clicking the group name.
Add the server group to a lower-level group by expanding the server group entries until the group you want to use is displayed. Then select the name of the group.
Click Save.
You can delete a group or subgroup by completing the following steps:
In Console Root pane of the SQL Server Management Studio window, select Registered Servers view by pressing Ctrl+Alt+G. If the view was previously hidden, this also displays the view.
Use the Registered Servers toolbar to select the top-level group in which the group you want to delete is located. For example, if you want to delete a second-level or third-level group for Database Engine instances, select Database Engine.
Click the plus sign (+) next to the group or subgroup you want to delete. If the group has servers registered in it, move them to a different group. (The steps involved in moving servers to a new group are explained in the section later in this chapter titled "Moving a Server to a New Group.")
Select the group or subgroup entry.
Press Delete. When prompted to confirm the action, click Yes.
Server groups have several key properties you can edit: the name, the description, and the location in the Registered Server hierarchy. To edit a group’s name or description, follow these steps:
Right-click the group in Registered Servers view, point to Edit, and then select Server Group Properties.
In the Edit Server Group Properties dialog box, enter the new group name and description.
Click Save.
To move a group (and all its associated subgroups and servers) to a new level in the server group hierarchy, follow these steps:
Right-click the group in Registered Servers view and select Move To.
In the Move Server Registration dialog box, expand the top-level group to see a list of subgroups. Expand subgroups as necessary. You can now:
Move the group to the top-level group by selecting the top-level group. This will make the group a second-level group.
Move the group to a different level by selecting a subgroup into which you want to place the group.
Click OK.
When you register a SQL Server for use with SQL Server Management Studio, you can choose the group in which you want the server. You can even create a new group specifically for the server. The next section, "Managing Servers," covers the topic of server registration.