Installing SQL Server Express in parallel of Standard

Question

On a server I have a SQL Server 2008 r2 standard performing very bad.

To make a quick & dirty test I would like to try to install express edition.

This server is not administrated by me, it is a server of a customer.

A stupid query is not running on that standard SQL Server, it takes 45 minutes to execute, while on my laptop it takes 2 seconds with the same db.

So I suspect either SQL Server is corrupted or windows is corrupted (other ideas?).

This is why I would like to try to install express (to bypass "SQL Server is corrupted").

Is it possible to install express when standard is there?

Answer 1

Yes , that would be no problem you can install a secondary intance with the sqlexpress installer. First I would you look if when executing the query there are no hardware limtits in memory , processor or disk. Often there is a simple solution for this.

Answer 2

You are on a totally wrong path here. Seriously.

So i suspect either SQL SErver is corrupted or windows is corrupted (other ideas?).

Why? To be THAT corrupt (2 seconds to 45 minutes) would basically mean not running. Event log full of errors?

Check performance counters. I would say totally overloaded disc subsystem or too little memory - a real normal debug situation, nothing else. Installing Express won't solve anything.

To answer your question.

Yes, it is possible. It is another instance with a predefined name (SQLExpress).

But you are much better on to sit down and do beginner baseline analysis - performance counters etc. SQL Server pretty much can not be THAT currupt as you indicate and still work. I think that is a purely performance issue and should be dealt with it - logically, not with blind actionism.