When working with SQL Server environments, developers and DBAs often need just the management tools rather than the full database engine. This is particularly common when:

• You need to manage remote SQL Server instances
• Your local machine has limited resources
• You want to avoid unnecessary services running locally

For SQL Server 2012, Microsoft provided these installation choices:

1. Complete (all features including Database Engine)
2. Custom (select individual components)
3. Management Tools - Basic (includes SSMS)
4. Management Tools - Complete (includes SSMS and other tools)

Here's how to install just SSMS 2012:

1. Run the SQL Server 2012 installation media
2. Select "New SQL Server stand-alone installation"
3. On the Feature Selection page, choose:

   Management Tools - Basic
   (optionally) Management Tools - Complete

4. Complete the installation wizard

For developers who just need the tools, Microsoft later released standalone SSMS packages. For 2012 version, you can download from:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=29062

After installation, verify it works by connecting to your remote server:

-- Sample connection string for testing
Server=your_server_name;Database=master;Integrated Security=SSPI;

To customize your SSMS environment, consider these registry tweaks:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Shell\General]
"AutoRecover"=dword:00000001
"TrackFileChanges"=dword:00000001

If you encounter problems:

• Ensure .NET Framework 4.0 is installed
• Check Windows Installer version (requires 4.5 or later)
• Verify sufficient disk space (minimum 2GB recommended)

Yes, you can absolutely install SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) 2012 as a standalone tool without installing the SQL Server database engine. This is a common practice among database administrators and developers who need to manage remote servers from their local machines.

Microsoft provides two main ways to get SSMS 2012 without the full SQL Server installation:

1. Download the SSMS standalone installer from Microsoft's website
2. Use the SQL Server installation media and select only the management tools component

If using the SQL Server 2012 installation media:

1. Launch the SQL Server installation wizard
2. Select "New SQL Server stand-alone installation"
3. When you reach the "Feature Selection" page, uncheck all options
4. Check only "Management Tools - Basic" and/or "Management Tools - Complete"
5. Complete the installation wizard

After installation, you can verify it worked by:

-- Try connecting to your remote server
USE master;
GO
SELECT @@VERSION;
GO

If you encounter problems connecting to your remote SQL Server 2012 BI instance, check:

• Firewall settings (port 1433 typically)
• SQL Server Configuration Manager for enabled protocols
• That SQL Server allows remote connections