How to add an already installed Microsoft SQL server in Plesk

Question

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

Answer

1. Connect to a server via RDP.

2. Download and install SQL Server Management Studio.

3. Open SQL Server Management Studio:

   • Specify a required database server instance as a Server name

   • Select Windows Authentication as an Authentication

     
     
     
     

4. Under the database server instance name, expand Security > Logins > right-click on sa to open its  Properties.

5. Set the required password - it will be used to register the instance in Plesk.

6. On the same window, click Status and apply the following changes:

   • Permission to connect to database engine: Grant

   • Login : Enabled

     

7. 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
   
   

8. Start SQL Server Configuration Manager > expand SQL Server Network Configuration > select the database server instance name and enable the following options:

   • Named Pipes
   • TCP/IP

   Note: If this SQL Server instance is installed on a remote Windows Server, allow remote connections by following instructions from this KB article.

9. In SQL Server Configuration Manager, click SQL Server Services > right-click on the SQL Server instance > Restart.

10. Log in to Plesk.
    

11. Go to Tools & Settings > Database Servers and click Add Database Server

12. 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

13. Click OK.

Additional Information

• Adding and Removing Database Servers | Plesk Obsidian documentation