Updated SQL Server Protocol Specifications
Microsoft has committed itself to releasing product protocols through its' Open Specifications program. To that end, the SQL Server team just released updates to 25 existing and new specifications on June 29th, 2010. These are a free download. Here is the list:
1. Microsoft Complex Event Processing Engine Manageability Protocol Specification
2. SharePoint Web Services: DataSet DiffGram Structure Specification
3. Tabular Data Stream Protocol Version 4.2
4. SQL Server System Overview
5. SQL Server Protocols Master Reference
6. Native Web Services Protocol Specification
7. Master Data Services Web Service Specification
8. Database Publishing Wizard Protocol Specification
9. Microsoft SQL Server CLR Types Serialization Formats
10. SQL Server Analysis Services Version 8.0 Protocol Specification
11. SQL Server Analysis Services Protocol Specification
12. SqlClient Connection String Structure Specification
13. Report Server Web Service Specification for SharePoint Forms Authentication: ReportServiceAuthentication
14. Report Server Web Service Specification for Report Management for SharePoint Mode: ReportService2006
15. Report Server Web Service Specification for Report Management for Native Mode: ReportService2005
16. Report Server Web Service Specification for Report Management: ReportService2010
17. Report Server Web Service Specification for Report Execution: ReportExecution2005
18. Report Page Layout (RPL) Binary Stream Format Structure Specification
19. Remote GDI+ (RGDI) Binary Stream Format Structure Specification
20. Report Definition Language File Format Structure Specification
21. OLEDB Connection String Structure Specification
22. ODBC Connection String Structure Specification
23. DataSet DiffGram Structure Specification
24. SQL Server Binary XML Structure Specification
25. XML Serialization of Synchronization Knowledge Specification
A lot of this is very deep and technical so you might wonder what value do they provide?
Well, they help anyone who needs to know how data flows within SQL Server. They could, possibly, help with an intractable debugging issue. Maybe your security/firewall team insists on knowing exactly what SQL Server sends across the network before they alter their firewall policies?
The benefit is that these protocols are not in a “black box” and if you want or need to get down to that level then you can.
Check out the following links for more details.
SQL Server Protocols Readme in .PDF format
SQL Server Protocols in a single 31 MB .ZIP file
https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=120223
Link to download individual SQL Server Protocols .PDF files
Forum for Using the Microsoft SQL Server Protocols