About Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is the database engine where PHDwin stores its databases. You will need to install Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft SQL Server 2025 Express for PHDwin to work properly. The Express version of SQL Server is free and can handle most PHDwin data sets. It is recommended to download at least SQL Server 2025 for better performance and new functionality.

You can set up multiple instances of SQL Server based on your company’s processes and workflow. These instances can be on your computer or on a shared network server that multiple users can access.

PHDwin requires Microsoft SQL Server Express or SQL Server 2025 Express. PHDwin V3.1.20 ships with SQL Server 2025 Express, which is recommended for all new installations — download SQL Server 2025 Express here.. You can download our archived version here by clicking on this link.

Setting up SQL Server

It is recommended to set up a separate instance of SQL Server for PHDwin databases.
Do not create PHDwin databases in an instance that stores databases for other applications.
You can install the instance locally or on a shared network server.
Local installations offer a fast setup and the ability to easily take projects home without security or compliance concerns.
For different classifications of work, set up one or more instances with varying degrees of security:
- Reserves engineers: need a tightly managed environment that is usually audited. This database should be on its own instance that is separately managed from the rest, limited to select users with stricter permissions, and users would probably not be able to create or delete databases.
- Production engineers (if different from the reserves engineers): need a more managed but reasonably open environment. This could be set up as a second instance on a shared server with more relaxed permissions and that more people have access to.
- A&D work: users will typically need sandbox environments to work databases quickly as they are delivered from other companies without polluting in-house data. These types of users may need the ability to create and delete databases as they, please. This type of work could be done via local instances where each user is a system admin.
- Consulting companies and banks: will most likely want to set up a local instance for each PHDwin user. They should be system administrators so that they can create and delete databases as necessary.
Transfer (PHZ3) and merge features allow quick, easy, and disciplined data migration between databases or instances.