Connect to Microsoft SQL Server

You can connect your Microsoft SQL Server databases to Data Studio to visualize and analyze your data. Use your database tables or custom queries to build interactive reports and dashboards. You can then share these insights with stakeholders or team members who don't have direct database access.

Supported versions

The Microsoft SQL Server connector uses the V7.2 JDBC driver. This connector was tested on MS SQL Server, and is compatible with the following earlier versions:

  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2014
  • 2012

Check the MS SQL Server version compatibility document to see if your database version is compatible with the V7.2 JDBC driver.

How to connect to Microsoft SQL Server

A Data Studio data source can connect to a single Microsoft SQL Server database table, or to a custom query that you provide.

To connect to your Microsoft SQL Server database, follow these steps:

  1. Sign in to Data Studio.
  2. On the Data Studio home page, click Create, and then select Data Source.
  3. Select the Microsoft SQL Server connector.
  4. Configure access to your database by using one of the connection options.
  5. Click AUTHENTICATE. You'll see a list of tables in that database.
  6. Select a table from the list or enter a custom query.
  7. Click CONNECT.

You can now access all the columns in the table as fields in your reports.

Connection options

Connect by using a hostname or IP address

In the connection, select BASIC. Enter the connection details:

  • Hostname or IP address
  • Port (Optional)
  • Database
  • Username
  • Password

Connect by using a JDBC URL

In the connection, select JDBC URL. Enter the connection details:

  • JDBC URL

    • Example jdbc:sqlserver://HOSTNAME[:PORT];databaseName=DATABASE

  • Username
  • Password

To connect by using an IPv6 literal address, enclose the address in square brackets. For example: jdbc:sqlserver://[2001:db8:1:1:1:1:1:1]/your_db

Connect by using SSL

Data Studio supports secure (encrypted) connections to the server using the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol (TLS 1.2). TLS is also referred to as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).

To enable a secure connection, select Enable SSL and then provide your SSL configuration files.

Using SSL is not required by Data Studio but may be required for your database configuration. Check with your database vendor for details.

Connect by using client authentication

When the Enable client authentication box is checked, you can upload a client private key and a client certificate if required to access your database.

Using client authentication is not required by Data Studio but may be required for your database configuration. Check with your database vendor for details.

Custom query

Select the CUSTOM QUERY option to provide a SQL query instead of connecting to a single table. Data Studio uses this custom SQL as an inner select statement for each generated query to the database.

Custom SQL queries may only have a single statement. For example, the following will not work because it has multiple SQL statements:


DECLARE cost_per_tb_in_dollar FLOAT64 DEFAULT 4.2;

SELECT total_bytes_billed / (1024 * 1024))* cost_per_tb_in_dollar)/(1024*1024))) FROM billing-table;

Queries in Data Studio may time out after three to five minutes. If your custom queries time out, try the following approaches to resolve the issue:

  • Simplify the query so that it runs faster.
  • Run the query in your database and store the results in a separate table. Connect the new table in your data source.

Supported data types

Data Studio maps your database's built-in data types to a unified set of data types. If Data Studio encounters a column in your table or query of an unsupported type, it won't create a field for that column.

Firewall and database access

To allow Data Studio to connect to and query databases that are behind a firewall, you will need to open access to one of the following IP addresses. You may also need to configure your database to accept traffic from these addresses. Consult the documentation for your specific database for instructions on how to do this.

IP addresses

The following addresses are reserved for Data Studio's global infrastructure:

  • 142.251.74.0/23

  • 2001:4860:4807::/48 (Optional, for platforms that support IPv6)

If you have enabled data residency for your Data Studio Pro subscription, use the following addresses instead:

  • 142.251.56.0/24

  • 2001:4860:4815::/48 (Optional, for platforms that support IPv6)

Limits of the Microsoft SQL Server connector

  • You can query a maximum of 150 K rows per query using this connector. If you exceed this limit, the data will be truncated.
  • Column headers (field names) must use ASCII characters only. Non-ASCII characters aren't supported.

Troubleshooting

See the Data Studio troubleshooting guide for a list of common error messages and steps to resolve them.

License

The Microsoft SQL Server connector was developed using Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server, which is distributed under the MIT license.

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