Configure SQL Server

This guide covers SQL Server Express (free local install) and Azure SQL (cloud hosted, free tier available).

SQL Server Express (Local)

Install SQL Server Express

1. Download SQL Server Express from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads
2. Run the installer and choose the Basic installation type
3. Note the connection string shown at the end of the install — it will look like localhost\SQLEXPRESS
4. Optionally, download and install SSMS (SQL Server Management Studio) from https://aka.ms/ssmsfullsetup for a native UI — or continue with DBeaver

Connect via DBeaver

1. Open DBeaver and click the New Database Connection button in the top left
2. Search for SQL Server, select it, and click Next
3. Fill in the connection fields:
   • Host: localhost\SQLEXPRESS
   • Port: 1433
   • Authentication: Windows Authentication (simplest for local installs)
   • Alternatively, if you set up SQL Server Authentication during install, use those credentials instead
4. Click Test Connection — if prompted, download the JDBC driver
5. Click Finish

Connect via SSMS (Optional)

1. Open SSMS
2. Set Server type to Database Engine
3. Set Server name to localhost\SQLEXPRESS
4. Set Authentication to Windows Authentication
5. Click Connect

Azure SQL (Cloud)

1. Go to https://portal.azure.com and sign in — a free account is available at https://azure.microsoft.com/free and includes 12 months of Azure SQL
2. Click Create a resource, search for SQL Database, and click Create
3. Fill in the details:
   • Resource group: create new, name it sql101-rg
   • Database name: SQL101
   • Server: create a new server, set an admin login and password, and choose the nearest region
   • Compute + storage: select Basic tier
4. Under Networking, set Add current client IP to Yes so DBeaver can connect from your machine
5. Click Review + Create, then Create — provisioning takes around 2 minutes
6. Once deployed, go to the resource → Connection strings and note the individual fields:
   • Server: yourserver.database.windows.net
   • Port: 1433
   • Database: SQL101
   • Username and Password: the credentials set during server creation
7. Open DBeaver and create a new SQL Server connection with these details — enable SSL if prompted
8. Click Test Connection, then Finish

Creating the Database Schema

Now that the connection is established you can create the database schema found here. Run USE SQL101 after creating the database to ensure schema objects are created in the right place. For Azure SQL, ensure the firewall rule includes your current IP — if you change networks you may need to update this in the Azure portal under Networking.

Notes

• Named instance connection issues: ensure the SQL Server Browser service is running — open Services and start SQL Server Browser
• Port 1433 blocked: for local Express, enable TCP/IP in SQL Server Configuration Manager under SQL Server Network Configuration
• Azure firewall errors: go to the Azure portal → SQL Server resource → Networking → add your current IP to the firewall rules
• Windows Authentication not working in DBeaver on macOS or Linux: use SQL Server Authentication instead — mixed mode must be enabled during install or via SSMS afterwards
• Driver errors in DBeaver: try the jTDS driver option instead of the default Microsoft JDBC driver if connection issues persist