A Starting Point to Endpoints

SQL Server 2005 supports various type of Endpoints in its various services. These endpoints are nothing but a listener that can receive requests  from the clients which are connecting to SQL Server's particular service.

Tabular Data Stream Endpoints.

These endpoints are introduced by SQL Server 2005 for defining the SQL Server connections.

When an application is communicating SQL Server it should use the either one of the four available network protocols supported by SQL Server with the format of communication in a Microsoft Communication Format called Tabular Data Stream. During the setup of SQL Server, it creates endpoints for all four type of Protocols (TCP/IP, Named Pipes, Shared Memory, Virtual Interface Adapter) and if the particular Protocol is enabled, then that particular endpoint can be used.

The following endpoints are automatically created

TSQL LocalMachine Endpoint  for Shared Memory

TSQL Named Pipes Endpoint  for Named Pipes

TSQL Default TCP for TCP/IP

TSQL Default VIA for VIA

DAC and HTTP Endpoints are also created for Dedicated Admin Connection and Native XML Web Services ( I will post a separate topic on this Native XML Web Services ) respectively.

For Shared memory and  Named Pipes there can be only one endpoint per instance. But all other endpoints, besides the default endpoints, user end points can be created. The user created endpoints  are manageable with TSQL statements(Create Endpoint, Alter Endpoint, Drop Endpoint). To connect SQL Server through a user created endpoint, that endpoint must be given a GRANT CONNECT permission to PUBLIC by admin.

For further studies on Endpoints search Network Protocols, and TDS Endpoints in SQL Books Online.