Bizarre sql management studio problem...cant see server status for

This one has me stumped.
Basically when I open sql management studio 2005 and connect to one of
my servers, the little server status icon adjacent to the server name
contains a blank circle. Normally it contains a small green triangle
to indicate the server is running. If I right click on the server
name, all the start/stop/pause/resume etc options are greyed out. This
is very confusing for the following reasons:
- I am logged on as 'sa' and all my other permissions work.
- Other logins (both sql server and windows authentication) show the
same issue
- Connecting to other database servers works fine (and shows the
correct status icon)
I originally thought it was some bizarre permissions issue, however if
I am logged directly into the server start the sql management tool
there using the same database login, the server shows the 'started'
green triangle and the start/stop/pause/resume etc options are
available.
This issue appears to have occurred randomly, I can not think of
anything I have done recently that involved changing permissions or
anything like that.
Any ideas?The connection as sa is a regular SQL Server connection. The
indicator that shows that the server is running is not updated based
on making a SQL Server connection; if you open SSMS without connecting
to any SQL Server the status of the servers should show.
The indication that SQL Server is running, or not, is based on SSMS
finding out if the service is running. That query is made to the
server's operating system, and is based on the rights of the Windows
account you are logged in with. For the servers that are displayed
with the status you have rights, for the others you do not.
I admit to a bit of guesswork in the above, but I think it is the
answer.
Roy Harvey
Beacon Falls, CT
On Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:16:50 -0800 (PST), Alex Danger
<alex.csp@.gmail.com> wrote:
>This one has me stumped.
>Basically when I open sql management studio 2005 and connect to one of
>my servers, the little server status icon adjacent to the server name
>contains a blank circle. Normally it contains a small green triangle
>to indicate the server is running. If I right click on the server
>name, all the start/stop/pause/resume etc options are greyed out. This
>is very confusing for the following reasons:
>
>- I am logged on as 'sa' and all my other permissions work.
>- Other logins (both sql server and windows authentication) show the
>same issue
>- Connecting to other database servers works fine (and shows the
>correct status icon)
>I originally thought it was some bizarre permissions issue, however if
>I am logged directly into the server start the sql management tool
>there using the same database login, the server shows the 'started'
>green triangle and the start/stop/pause/resume etc options are
>available.
>This issue appears to have occurred randomly, I can not think of
>anything I have done recently that involved changing permissions or
>anything like that.
>Any ideas?