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sys.dm_os_child_instances (Transact-SQL)

Returns a row for each user instance that has been created from the parent server instance.

Important

This feature will be removed in a future version of Microsoft SQL Server. Avoid using this feature in new development work, and plan to modify applications that currently use this feature.

The information returned from sys.dm_os_child_instances can be used to determine the state of each User Instance (heart_beat) and to obtain the pipe name (instance_pipe_name) that can be used to create a connection to the User Instance using SQL Server Management Studio or SQLCmd. You can only connect to a User Instance after it has been started by an external process, such as a client application. SQL management tools cannot start a User Instance.

Note

User Instances are a feature of SQL Server 2008 Express only.

Column

Data type

Description

owning_principal_name

nvarchar(256)

The name of the user that this user instance was created for.

owning_principal_sid

nvarchar(256)

SID (Security-Identifier) of the principal who owns this user instance. This matches Windows SID.

owning_principal_sid_binary  

varbinary(85)

Binary version of the SID for the user who owns the user Instance

instance_name

nvarchar(128)

The name of this user instance.

instance_pipe_name

nvarchar(260)

When a user instance is created, a named pipe is created for applications to connect to. This name can be used in a connect string to connect to this user instance.

os_process_id

Int

The process number of the Windows process for this user instance.

os_process_creation_date

Datetime

The date and time when this user instance process was last started.

heart_beat

nvarchar(5)

Current state of this user instance; either ALIVE or DEAD.

Permissions

Requires VIEW SERVER STATE permission on the server.

Remarks

For more information about dynamic management view, see Dynamic Management Views and Functions (Transact-SQL) in SQL Server 2008 Books Online.