Knowledge Base

How to add an already installed Microsoft SQL server in Plesk

Question

How to add an already installed Microsoft SQL server in Plesk?

Answer

Connect to a server via RDP.
Download and install SQL Server Management Studio.
Open SQL Server Management Studio:
- Specify a required database server instance as a Server name
- Select Windows Authentication as an Authentication
Under the database server instance name, expand Security > Logins > right-click on sa to open its Properties.
Set the required password - it will be used to register the instance in Plesk.
On the same window, click Status and apply the following changes:
- Permission to connect to database engine: Grant
- Login : Enabled
In SQL Server Management Studio , right click on the database server instance name > Properties > Security > select SQL Server and Windows Authentication mode and click OK
Start SQL Server Configuration Manager > expand SQL Server Network Configuration > select the database server instance name and enable the following options:
Note: If this SQL Server instance is installed on a remote Windows Server, allow remote connections by following instructions from this KB article.
In SQL Server Configuration Manager, click SQL Server Services > right-click on the SQL Server instance > Restart.
Log in to Plesk.
Go to Tools & Settings > Database Servers and click Add Database Server
Fill in the fields:
- Database server type: Microsoft SQL Server
- Host name or IP address: .SQLEXPRESS
  - " . " is required before a host name. If this SQL Server instance is installed in a different server, specify the IP address, for example 203.0.113.2SQLEXPRESS
  - The correct hostname is a server name from Step 3
- Administrator's username: sa
- Administrator's password: the password from Step 5
Click OK.