In earlier versions of SQL Server, registering each server on the network into the SQL Enterprise Manager was a tedious task. It required manual registration of each server one at a time. This process had to be repeated for every machine where the Enterprise needed to be installed and the server accessed. For example, if you had 50 servers and 10 DBAs, you would have to register the 50 servers 10 times for each DBA, resulting in a lot of work.

Fortunately, with the introduction of SQL Server 2005, a new feature called Import/Export Registered Server files was introduced. This feature allows you to easily configure multiple computers with the same servers in Registered Servers. It is particularly useful when managing a large number of servers from computers in different locations or when you want to configure a less experienced user with basic connection settings.

Let’s learn how to use this feature:

1. Create a Server Group:
• Open SQL Server Management Studio on machine one.
• Right-click on Database Engine and select New, then Server Groups.
• Type in the Server Group name, for example, “Developers,” and click save.
• You should now see this group in the Registered Servers window.
2. Register Servers:
• Right-click on the Server Group name, in this case, “Developers,” and select New, then Server Registration.
• In the Server name text box, type the name of your SQL Server instance.
• In the Registered server name box, type the name of the server.
• Repeat the same step to register all the servers under this group.
3. Export Registered Server File:
• Right-click on the server group and select “Export”.
• Select the SQL server group and specify the name of the file where you want to export the registration details.
• Ensure that the checkbox “Do not include username and password in the export file” is selected for security purposes.
• Click OK to export the file.
4. Import Registered Server File:
• To test, delete the existing server group by right-clicking the group name and selecting delete.
• Confirm the deletion by clicking Yes.
• Right-click on “Database Engine” and select “Import”.
• Select the filename of the exported registration file.
• Click OK to import the file.

By following these steps, you can easily register servers on any other machine by simply importing the exported file. This saves time and effort, especially when dealing with a large number of servers and multiple DBAs.

Remember to carefully control access to the export file, as it may contain encrypted information. It is recommended to exclude usernames and passwords from the export file by default.

With the Import/Export Registered Server files feature in SQL Server, managing and configuring servers becomes much more efficient and convenient.