While it's true that you don't need a full install of ArcSDE to run ArcSDE commands, I would
strongly encourage you to go through the install (and cancel the post-install), so that your
release is populated in the system registry. This will permit you to apply patches and service
packs to keep your command-line tools in sync with your database.
Going "registry commando" is usually only an advanced technique since, while it lets you run
multiple versions of ArcSDE, it also deprives you of Start Menu access to documentation and
GUI tools for ArcSDE management.
- V