SQL Server Management Studio Access to Remote Domains

So you need to access a SQL Server (2005) using the SQL Server Management Studio. The server is running with Active Directory only authentication, but your laptop isn’t in the target domain and you only have access to the SQL server port (TCP 1433). What to do?

Well, Galin Iliev has the answer. By using the runas command with the /netonly switch, you can pass credentials to the Management Studio which are used for access to the remote server. Only correction to Galin’s post is that the SQL Server Management Studio executable is sqlwb.exe instead of ssmsee.exe.

So for us road warrior consultants, there is a way to access AD credentialed SQL server databases without have to join a domain or have any more network access than the TCP/IP port for the SQL server.