Can SQL Server 2008 Express exist with SQL Server 2000 on the same server?

Question

I'm wondering if anybody has had any experience in trying to install SQL Server 2008 Express along side with SQL Server 2000. We have a production server running 2000 which all of our current stuff is running on. However, something new is in the pipeline that uses SQL Server 2008 Express.

Hitting Google thus far has given me nothing concrete. There was an obvious no from a preview release of 2008 but nothing about RTM 2008.

I could try installing it but would like to find out as much as I can before doing so. I can see the 2008 install failing, eating 2000 in the process.

The alternative paths that I have include having the 2008 db be turned into a 2000 format (which I'd like to avoid as we only have a 5 connection licenses) and building a new server (we already have enough and it seems overkill). Redoing the 2008 DB is viable as it doesn't use any new whiz-bang features from 2008.

Virtualization can be an option as well, but it's not quite in our cultural yet.

Any insights here will be appreciated.

Keith

Answer 1

yes you can, you have to make the 2008 version a named instance if the 2000 version is a default instance