T-SQL Debugger fails in SSMS 2008

Question

We recently installed SSMS 2008 and a new instance of SQL Server 2008 Developer Edition on my development machine.  When we tried the new T-SQL debugger features, we were able to debug a simple "SELECT TOP 10 * FROM MyTable" query and step over the select statement.  However, since that first debugging session, the debugger now fails.

No mater what query we try to debug, SSMS flickers like it's entering debug mode, then flickers back to the normal view and the status bar says "Query completed with errors."  It doesn't matter how simple the query is, SSMS refuses to enter debug mode.  The Messages tab of the query window displays nothing, so we have no clue as to what error SSMS thinks it's getting.

We've checked all of the SQL Server Books Online documentation and tried everything there.  We are attempting to debug using user sa, firewall is completely disabled, telnetting to localhost on port 135 gets a connection for the SQL Server instance.  Our production SQL Server 2008 machine will debug fine using the local copy of SSMS 2008.  However, this development machine dies immediately upon trying to start the debugger.  I'm not even sure of a log file anywhere where SSMS might list the errors that it encounters while trying running.

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi

The Transact-SQL debugger includes both server-side and client-side components. The server-side debugger components are installed with each instance of the SQL Server 2008 Database Engine. The client-side components are installed when you install the SQL Server 2008 client-side tools.

There are no configuration requirements to run the Transact-SQL debugger when SQL Server Management Studio is running on the same computer as the instance of the SQL Server Database Engine. However, to run the Transact-SQL debugger when SQL Server Management Studio is running on a different computer from the instance of the Database Engine, you must enable program and port exceptions by using the Windows Firewall Control Panel application on both computers.

On the computer that is running the instance of the Database Engine, in Windows Firewall, specify the following information:

• Add TCP port 135 to the exceptions list.
• Add the program sqlservr.exe to the exceptions list. By default, sqlservr.exe is installed in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.InstanceName\MSSQL\Binn, where InstanceName is MSSQLSERVER for the default instance, and the instance name for any named instance.
• If the domain policy requires network communications to be done through IPsec, you must also add UDP port 4500 and UDP port 500 to the exception list.
  
  

On the computer that is running SQL Server Management Studio, in Windows Firewall, specify the following information:

• Add TCP port 135 to the exceptions list.
• Add program ssms.exe (SQL Server Management Studio) to the exceptions list. By default, ssms.exe is installed in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE.

Thanks
Sreekar

Answer 2

I know this is really old, but was a solution found?  I have the same issue...

Answer 3

You can file a bug report at Connect: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer?wa=wsignin1.0

If you do, can you post the link here? Thanks.

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Kalman Toth, SQL Server & Business Intelligence Training; SQL 2008 GRAND SLAM