Configure SQL Server database integration

See the following sections to configure a new SQL Server database integration or to edit an existing integration.

Configure a new SQL Server database integration

To integrate Microsoft SQL Server with SolarWinds Observability SaaS:

Open the integration wizard:
1. In SolarWinds Observability SaaS, click Add Data at the top.
2. In the Add Data dialog Intro, click the Integrations tab, and then click SQL Server.
Select an agent host:
1. In the Add SQL Server dialog, select a host with the SolarWinds Observability Agent you want to use for SQL Server and click Next.
2. To display only Agents running in a Kubernetes cluster, click the List only Agents... toggle.
3. If you want to install a dedicated Agent on a dedicated host, add the host and then add the SQL Server integration. See Add a self-managed host.
4. If you prefer using Docker, see Run the SolarWinds Observability Agent as a Docker image or Kubernetes deployment.
Select where SQL Server is located (Capture Method):
- On Host: SQL Server runs on the same physical or virtual machine as the Agent.
- Off Host: SQL Server runs on a different physical or virtual machine than the Agent.
This selection affects how the default endpoint is prefilled and how data is collected.
Grant access in SQL Server.

Collecting SQL Server metrics requires that the account used to collect the data has the required permissions on the SQL Server instance.

If the account cannot access the required metadata, relevant SQL Server metrics will not be collected.
1. In the wizard’s Instructions step, you can enter the username to generate the appropriate GRANT statements.
2. Run the relevant script on the SQL Server instance, depending on your SQL Server version:
  - SQL Server versions earlier than 2022:
```
GRANT VIEW ANY DATABASE TO username;
GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO username;
```
  - SQL Server 2022 and later:
```
GRANT VIEW ANY DATABASE TO username;
GRANT VIEW SERVER PERFORMANCE STATE TO username;
```
Specify credentials to be used for authenticating the SQL Server integration in SolarWinds Observability SaaS.
- Add New Credential
  
  Select this option to create new credentials. Provide a name for the credentials set and the requested details, such as:
  - Username: The SQL Server login used for monitoring.
  - Password: Password for the specified login.
- Use Existing Credential
  
  Select this option to use existing credentials. Choose the credentials from the list of previously defined SQL Server credentials.
Configure the SQL Server integration:
- Database Deployment Type
  
  Select SQL Server as the Database Deployment Type. This identifies the monitored database as a Microsoft SQL Server instance.
- Display Name
  
  Provide a Display Name for the SQL Server instance. This name will be shown in SolarWinds Observability dashboards and entity views.
- Collection Interval
  
  Review the Collection Interval, which controls how often metrics are collected. The default is typically 30 seconds.
- DBMS Instance Address
  
  In DBMS Instance Address, add the IP address or FQDN of the SQL Server instance with the port number in the following format:
  
  <IP/FQDN>:<Port>
  
  For example: localhost:1433 or sqlserver01.example.com:1433
  
  Do not include a protocol (such as http:// or https://). Only host (or FQDN) and port are allowed.
Review and deploy the integration.
1. Review the configuration summary in the wizard.
2. Click Deploy to apply the configuration and deploy the changes to the agent.
  
  The agent begins collecting metrics from the configured SQL Server instance.

When the installation and deployment are complete, you can use the buttons on the Summary screen to navigate to dashboards and entity views for SQL Server.

To view metrics collected for SQL Server, click Analyze > Metrics and search for sqlserver to find the available SQL Server metrics. See Metrics Explorer for details on filtering, charting, and saving metric views.

Edit an existing SQL Server OTel integration

Open the existing integration:
1. In SolarWinds Observability SaaS, go to Settings > Integrations (or the equivalent integrations list).
2. Locate the existing SQL Server integration you want to modify.
3. Click the integration and select Edit (or Configure).
Update connection and collection settings:
- Database Deployment Type:
  
  Verify or change the Database Deployment Type if necessary (for example, make sure it is set to SQL Server).
- Display Name:
  
  Update the Display Name if you want the integration to appear under a different friendly name in dashboards and entity views.
- Collection Interval:
  
  Adjust the Collection Interval to control how frequently SQL Server metrics are collected (for example, keep or change the default of 30 seconds).
- DBMS Instance Address:
  
  Update the DBMS Instance Address if the SQL Server host or port has changed. Use the following format:
  
  <IP/FQDN>:<Port>
  
  For example: sqlserver01.example.com:1433
Update credentials (if necessary).
1. If SQL Server credentials have changed, select Add New Credential or Use Existing Credential and update the username and password used to access the SQL Server instance.
2. Run the relevant script on the SQL Server instance to ensure the updated account still has the required permissions:
  - SQL Server versions earlier than 2022:
```
GRANT VIEW ANY DATABASE TO username;
GRANT VIEW SERVER STATE TO username;
```
  - SQL Server 2022 and later:
```
GRANT VIEW ANY DATABASE TO username;
GRANT VIEW SERVER PERFORMANCE STATE TO username;
```
Review and save changes.
1. Review the updated configuration in the summary.
2. Click Deploy or Save to apply the changes and redeploy the updated configuration to the agent.

When the deployment is complete, continue using dashboards and Analyze > Metrics (search for sqlserver) to confirm that data is being collected as expected with the new settings.

Search SolarWinds Support

Configure SQL Server database integration

Configure a new SQL Server database integration

Edit an existing SQL Server OTel integration