Microsoft SQL Server

Learn how to add Microsoft SQL Server as a resource in StrongDM.

Overview

This guide describes how to add a Microsoft SQL Server database as a datasource in StrongDM.

When the resource is added, StrongDM proxies client connections through a node (gateway, relay, or proxy cluster). This enables centralized access control, credential management, and audit logging. This resource type only supports SQL authentication based on local accounts with username and password. For other options, see the Microsoft SQL Server (Azure AD) and Microsoft SQL Server (Kerberos) resource types.

Use this guide to complete all necessary preparations to add this resource to your StrongDM environment; input the correct properties in the Admin UI, CLI, SDKs, or Terraform provider; and test for a successful connection.

For general information about how to add a database as a resource in StrongDM, see our main guide, Add a Datasource.

Supported Versions and Clients

StrongDM supports Microsoft SQL Server instances using SQL authentication with username/password credentials.

Clients supported include standard SQL Server tools and drivers that operate over TDS (Tabular Data Stream) with password auth:

• sqlcmd, Azure Data Studio, or SSMS

• Application libraries/drivers (for example, JDBC, ODBC, .NET SqlClient, or Node.js mssql) using SQL auth

• GUI clients that allow specifying username/password credentials for SQL Server connections

Prerequisites

To add your resource in StrongDM, you need to meet several technical and configuration prerequisites. Please ensure that the following requirements are met.

In StrongDM, you must have the following:

• Administrator permission level

• At least one operational StrongDM node (gateway, relay, or proxy cluster) that can reach the SQL Server endpoint (hostname and port)

• If using secrets management tools for storing your database credentials, a Secret Store configured in StrongDM

To verify that the resource is accessible by the node, log in to the gateway or relay and use Netcat: nc -zv <HOSTNAME> <PORT> (in this example, nc -zv testdb-01.fancy.org 3306). If your gateway server can connect to this hostname, proceed.

Netcat is a tool for checking various hostnames and ports by either sending data (a ping) or checking for listeners on the ports. The command in the aforementioned example use "-z" to check for listeners without sending data and "-v" to show verbose output. If you don't have Netcat, you can install the Netcat package with whatever package manager you are using, such as "apt-get install netcat".

On the SQL Server/Azure side, you must have the following:

• Microsoft SQL Server instance configured to accept SQL authentication (not just Windows/AD/Kerberos)

• Database user account (username and password) created on the SQL Server with the needed permissions to connect and run queries

• Network configuration (firewalls, security groups, and so forth) that allows StrongDM nodes to reach the SQL Server hostname and port (1433 or your custom port)

Resource Management in StrongDM

After all prerequisites and prep work is done, you are ready to add the resource to StrongDM. This section provides instructions for adding the resource in either the StrongDM Admin UI, CLI, Terraform provider, or SDKs.

Admin UI

Set up and Manage With the Admin UI

If using the Admin UI to add your Microsoft SQL Server as a resource to StrongDM, use the following steps.

1. Log in to the StrongDM Admin UI.

2. Go to Resources > Datasources.

3. Click Add datasource.

4. For Datasource Type, select Microsoft SQL Server.

5. Complete all required configuration properties for your selected datasource type.

6. Click Create to save the resource.

7. Click the resource name to view status, diagnostic information, and setting details.

CLI

Set up and Manage With the CLI

This section provides an example of how to add the resource using the StrongDM CLI. For more information and examples, please see the CLI Reference documentation.

# Add Microsoft SQL Server datasource
sdm admin datasources add mssql sqlserver-prod
  --hostname="sqlserver.example.com"
  --port=1433
  --database="appdb"
  --username="sql_user"
  --password="secret"
  --bind-interface="127.0.0.1"
  --egress-filter="tag:env=prod"
  --port-override="15433"
  --proxy-cluster-id="n-1a2b345c67890123"
  --secret-store-id="se-e1b2"
  --subdomain="sqlserver-prod"
  --tags="env=production,team=appdata"

Terraform

Set up and Manage With Terraform

This section provides an example of how to configure and manage the resource using the Terraform provider. For more information and examples, please see the Terraform provider documentation.

# Install StrongDM provider
terraform {
  required_providers {
    sdm = {
      source  = "strongdm/sdm"
      version = "5.1.0"
    }
  }
}

# Configure StrongDM provider
provider "sdm" {
  # Add API access key and secret key from Admin UI
  api_access_key = "njjSn...5hM"
  api_secret_key = "ziG...="
}

# Create Microsoft SQL Server resource
resource "sdm_mssql" "sqlserver_prod" {
  name             = "sqlserver-prod"
  hostname         = "sqlserver.example.com"
  port             = 1433
  database         = "appdb"
  username         = "sql_user"
  password         = "secret"

  bind_interface   = "127.0.0.1"
  egress_filter    = "tag:env=prod"
  port_override    = 15433
  proxy_cluster_id = "n-1a2b345c67890123"

  secret_store_id  = "se-e1b2"
  subdomain        = "sqlserver-prod"
  tags = {
    env  = "production"
    team = "appdata"
  }
}

Configuration Properties

The following configuration properties are required to define a Microsoft SQL Server datasource in StrongDM. These settings control how StrongDM connects to the database, authenticates the connection, and optionally uses encryption or secret management. Each property must be correctly configured to ensure connectivity and access enforcement through StrongDM.

If you are connecting an Azure SQL Server resource, you must enable the Override Default Database option.

Property	Requirement	Description
Display Name	Required	Meaningful name to display the resource throughout StrongDM; exclude special characters like quotes (") or angle brackets (< or >)
Datasource Type	Required	Microsoft SQL Server
Proxy Cluster	Required	Defaults to "None (use gateways)"; if using proxy clusters, select the appropriate cluster to proxy traffic to this resource
Hostname	Required	Hostname for your Microsoft SQL Server database resource; must be accessible to a gateway or relay
Port	Required	Port to use when connecting to your Microsoft SQL Server database; default port value is 1433
Connectivity Mode	Required	Select either Virtual Networking Mode, which lets users connect to the resource with a software-defined, IP-based network; or Loopback Mode, which allows users to connect to the resource using the local loopback adapter in their operating system; this field is shown if Virtual Networking Mode enabled for your organization
IP Address	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, an IP address value in the configured Virtual Networking Mode subnet in the organization network settings; if Loopback Mode is the selected connectivity mode, an IP address value in the configured Loopback IP range in the organization network settings (by default, 127.0.0.1); if not specified, an available IP address in the configured IP address space for the selected connectivity mode will be automatically assigned; this field is shown if Virtual Networking Mode and/or multi-loopback mode is enabled for your organization
Port Override	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a port value between 1 and 65535 that is not already in use by another resource with the same IP address; if Loopback Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a port value between 1024 to 64999 that is not already in use by another resource with the same IP address; when left empty with Virtual Networking Mode, the system assigns the default port to this resource; when left empty for Loopback Mode, an available port that is not already in use by another resource is assigned; preferred port also can be modified later from the Port Overrides settings
DNS	Optional	If Virtual Networking Mode is the selected connectivity mode, a unique hostname alias for this resource; when set, causes the desktop app to display this resource's human-readable DNS name (for example, k8s.my-organization-name) instead of the bind address that includes IP address and port (for example, 100.64.100.100:5432)
Database	Required	Database name you would like to connect to using this datasource
Secret Store	Optional	Credential store location; defaults to Strong Vault; learn more about Secret Store options
Username	Required	Username to utilize when connecting to this datasource; displays when Secret Store integration is not configured for your organization or when StrongDM serves as the Secret Store type
Password	Required	Password for the user connecting to this datasource; displays when Secret Store integration is not configured for your organization or when StrongDM serves as the Secret Store type
Username (path)	Required	Path to the secret in your Secret Store location (for example, path/to/credential?key=optionalKeyName where key argument is optional); required when using a non-StrongDM Secret Store type
Password (path)	Required	Path to the secret in your Secret Store location (for example, path/to/credential?key=optionalKeyName where key argument is optional); required when using a non-StrongDM Secret Store type
Schema	Optional	Name of the schema that should be used if the user belongs to a particular schema
Override Default Database	Optional	By default, StrongDM limits all connections to the configured database. Uncheck the box to disable this option. If this option is deselected, the value entered in the Database field is only used for healthchecks, not for user connections. When accessing the database via StrongDM, users need to explicitly pass the database name they wish to connect to in the connection string. If they do not, the value of the Username field is passed in as the database name. This is the default behavior of the database type.
Allow Deprecated Encryption Methods	Optional	When selected, allows deprecated encryption protocols (for example, TLS 1.0) to be used for this resource
Resource Tags	Optional	Datasource Tags consisting of key-value pairs <KEY>=<VALUE> (for example, env=dev)

Test the Connection

After you have added your resource in StrongDM, follow these steps to verify that it’s working correctly.

1. Assign yourself access by ensuring that your user or role has access to the resource. In the StrongDM Admin UI, go to Access > Roles, and verify that the resource is attached to a role you’re in.

2. In the CLI, run sdm status to list the available datasources. Ensure that the resource appears in your list of accessible datasources.

3. Start a session to the resource, as in the following example:

   sdm connect sqlserver-prod

4. Connect using a SQL Server client (for example, using sqlcmd, Azure Data Studio, or another tool). Use the configured hostname, port, username, and password. Then run a simple query. For example:

   SELECT @@VERSION;

5. In the StrongDM Admin UI, check Logs > Queries (and Logs > Connections) to ensure that your session and SQL statements were captured.

When these steps succeed, you’re ready to connect to your resource through StrongDM.

Help

If you still encounter issues, please consult the StrongDM Help Center.

Be prepared to provide the following information to StrongDM Support, so that they can inspect logs and confirm node and resource health:

• Resource name or ID

• CLI error output or logs

• Node name and region