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sys.dm_os_child_instances

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

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 2005 Express Edition 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 in SQL Server 2005 Books Online.

Example

To learn how to connect to a User Instance, see How to: Connect to a User Instance.

See Also

Other Resources

User Instances for Non-Administrators

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance

Change History

Release

History

17 July 2006

Changed content:
  • Added more description under Introduction and added an example

5 December 2005

Changed content:
  • Added description for the owning_principal_sid_binary column