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Is it possible to connect to the DAC using SSMS? If I understand correctly, it should be possible by using "admin:" prefix before the server name, but I receive the following message:

Dedicated administrator connections are not supported via SSMS as it establishes multiple connections by design. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.SqlStudio.Explorer)

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2
  • This? mssqlforum.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/…
    – Philᵀᴹ
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 14:35
  • Or maybe this: "By default, the connection is only allowed from a client running on the server. Network connections are not permitted unless they are configured by using the sp_configure stored procedure with the remote admin connections option."
    – swasheck
    Commented May 16, 2012 at 14:36

3 Answers 3

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You cannot connect the object explorer with the DAC. You need to use a single query window, and you can right-click on it to Connect/Change Connection.

The nature of object explorer is that it uses multiple connections, which is not allowed with the DAC.

Another piece with the DAC, out of the box it only allows local connections (due to security reasons). If you want to be able to connect to the DAC remotely, you need to configure it accordingly:

exec sp_configure 'remote admin connections', 1
go
reconfigure
go
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  • Also, if you have level 20 notifications set up, you may want to disable IntelliSense in the query window before connecting.
    – Jon Seigel
    Commented May 17, 2012 at 1:15
  • I never knew about the right click -> Change Connection. Thank you!!
    – Brain2000
    Commented Nov 1, 2022 at 11:57
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This error occurs when you try to connect to DAC using the right click Connect and the Connect to Server dialog from the Object explorer

However, you can connect to DAC via SSMS by clicking the Database Engine Query button

enter image description here

The Connect To Database Engine dialog will pop out. Type the "admin:" prefix before the server name and you'll be connected to DAC

enter image description here

Hope this helps

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2

I spent a couple of days trying connect to the DAC with SSMS to my SQL sandbox server. I read this post, everything tagged 'dac. I even found some posts missing the tag and added it.

My frustration was high, I found several posts like the answer by Milica Medic saying how simple it was.

And I had the answer by Thomas Stringer telling me you can not connect to the DAC with the object explorer.

BUT it turns out the object explorer can connect to the DAC. It grabbed the one and only connection as me, as I was attempting to problem solve, but as I was also logging on as me, I did not realize I had an extra connection via the DAC. Even though I did not have an open Database Engine Query, or object explorer connection. yet it was still there.

I closed and reopened SSMS, to clear any lingering DAC connections that I had accidently made while learning, and magically on re-starting SSMS, I can connect as simple as Milica Medic says!

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