MET/TEAM and MET/CONNECT both use Microsoft SQL Server databases as their means of storing data. Microsoft offers multiple versions of SQL Server, the two most common being Full and Express editions. Express edition, which is available for free, should be sufficient for stand-alone or small networked MET/TEAM or MET/CONNECT installations. Microsoft also offers several other non-Express versions of SQL Server that in this article we will refer to as "Full" versions. Feature comparisons of all SQL Server editions can be found on the Microsoft site or in an internet search.
The current list of supported versions of SQL Server based on your operating system can be found here: MET/TEAM and MET/CAL minimum system requirements
MET/CONNECT supports SQL Server 2016 or later.
The most relevant limitations of the SQL Server Express editions are:
- It is limited to a database size of 10 GB
- It can use max of 1 GB of RAM
- It uses only 1 CPU
If any of the above are affecting your installation, or if you have more than 5 concurrent users and are experiencing performance issues, or if you just want to get the best performance possible from MET/TEAM or MET/CONNECT, then we recommend using a full edition of SQL Server®.
Note that you can always upgrade from Express Edition to Full Edition when the database file size is getting close to the 10 GB limitation. Contact Microsoft or a reputable vendor for information on upgrading your copy of SQL Server Express.
Please feel free to contact softwaresupport@flukecal.com if you have any questions.