SQL Server 2008 FILESTREAM Feature

One of the new feature addition to the SQL Server 2008 is FILESTREAM. This enables the storage of BLOBs in File Sytem instead of database file.

We can enable FILESTREAM feature as follows:

• Open SQL Server Configuration Manager
  (Start->All Programs->Microsoft SQL Server 2008->Configuration Tools->SQL Server Configuration Manager)
• From SQL Configuration Manager select "SQL Server Services as shown in below figure.

• Now from the right pane right click SQL Server and select properties. A new window will be bought up as shown below.

• Now go to the FILESTREAM tab, and Select the option “Enable FILESTREAM for Transact-SQL access.

• If you want to enable reading/writing FILESTREAM date from windows, then select the option “Enable FILESTREAM for file I/O streaming access” and provide the window share name.
• If you want to enable remote client access for FILESTREAM data, then enable the 3rd option and hit “Apply”.

Another way to enable the option is through T-SQL query. Open SQL Server Management Studio. Open new query window and execute the following query.

USE master
Go
EXEC sp_configure 'show advanced options'
GO
--0 means FILESTREAM is disabled
--1 means FILESTREAM is enabled for this instance
--2 means FILESTREAM is enabled with window streaming
EXEC sp_configure filestream_access_level, 1
GO
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE
GO

Another way is using SQL Server Management Studio. Open SQL Server Management Studio. From the object explorer, select the server and right click.

Click on the properties menu item

There from the Advanced property, you can see FileStream Access Level. Set the level you want and click OK.

Another way to enable this feature is during the installation of SQL Server 2008. If you have referred to my post related to SQL Server 2008 installation over here. You can find how to do that.

Now we are done with enabling FILESTREAM on our database server.

On my next post I will describe, how to create a FILESTREAM database and tables fields.

Hope you have nice reading. For more queries and information ping me.