title: Import a sample database into SQL Server on AWS RDS free tier
body: <p>I'm signed up to Amazon Web Service (AWS) free tier, which allows you to run <a href="http://aws.amazon.com/free/" rel="nofollow">some very limited instances of EC2 and RDS</a> for free.</p>
  
  <p>I've created an RDS instance running SQL Server 2012 Express - this does not allow remote desktop access, so I also have an EC2 instance running Windows Server 2012 base, and I have installed SQL Server Management Studio and I'm able to connect.</p>
  
  <p>I would like to import some kind of sample database - for example, Northwind, AdventureWorks, or anything that has at least a handful of tables and relationships. The reason is I want to just experiment and practice on a few things (for example, I want to try out the EXPLAIN feature to get to learn how the relational algebra works and how SQL plans out various test queries).</p>
  
  <p>My problem is that Amazon's RDS does not allow me to restore a <code>.BAK</code> file, as local disk access is not allowed, and neither is FILESTREAM, so I can't just download a sample database backup and restore it.</p>
  
  <p>Amazon <a href="http://docs.aws.amazon.com/AmazonRDS/latest/UserGuide/SQLServer.Procedural.Importing.html" rel="nofollow">document their workaround here</a>, which involves creating a local instance of SQL Server on the EC2 instance (my machine with SQL Server Management Studio installed, which I have RDP access to), and use the Generate and Publish Scripts Wizard to import data from the EC2 to the RDS. My problem here is that I <strong>don't have enough disk space to install a local database instance</strong> - as I'm on the free tier I'm limited to 30GB total disk space for the server, so the OS + SQL Server Management Studio leaves just a couple of gigs. So I'm totally stuck.</p>
  
  <p>Does anyone have any genius ideas here? Maybe some pre-made bulk insert scripts I can use (I can't find any) or some other solution? The database doesn't have to be big, just something to work with. Of course I could always pay to increase my disk space, and go through the whole tedious process outlined by Amazon, but I'd rather not!</p>
  
  <p>Thanks</p>