Hello Dev, as a database professional, you must be aware of the importance of SQL Server in managing data. But what if you are a Mac user, and you need to work with SQL Server? Fortunately, Microsoft has made it possible to run SQL Server on Mac. In this article, we will guide you through the entire process of installing, configuring, and using SQL Server on your Mac. Let’s get started!
Introduction
In this section, we will provide a brief introduction to SQL Server and Mac, and how they can work together.
SQL Server is a relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. It is widely used in the industry for managing data and providing business intelligence solutions. Mac, on the other hand, is a popular operating system developed by Apple for their computers. While SQL Server was traditionally available only for Windows, Microsoft has recently released versions of SQL Server that can run on Mac as well.
Why run SQL Server on Mac?
There can be several reasons why you might want to run SQL Server on your Mac. Perhaps you prefer working on a Mac, or your organization has adopted Mac computers. Alternatively, you may need to work with SQL Server for a client or project. Whatever the reason, you can run SQL Server on Mac, and we will show you how.
How to run SQL Server on Mac?
To run SQL Server on Mac, you need to follow a few simple steps. First, you need to download and install Docker, which is a containerization platform that allows you to run applications in isolated environments. Then, you can use Docker to download and run a SQL Server container on your Mac. We will cover these steps in detail later in the article.
Installing Docker on Mac
Before you can run SQL Server on your Mac, you need to install Docker. Docker is a popular containerization platform that allows you to run applications in isolated environments. Here’s how you can install Docker on your Mac:
Step 1: Download Docker Desktop for Mac
You can download Docker Desktop for Mac from the Docker website. Go to https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop and click on the “Download for Mac” button. The installer will download to your Mac.
Step 2: Install Docker Desktop for Mac
Once the installer has downloaded, double-click on it to start the installation process. Follow the instructions in the installer to install Docker Desktop on your Mac.
Step 3: Launch Docker Desktop for Mac
After the installation is complete, launch Docker Desktop for Mac by clicking on the Docker icon in your Applications folder. Docker will start and run in the background.
Running SQL Server on Mac with Docker
Now that you have installed Docker on your Mac, you can use it to run SQL Server in a container. Here’s how:
Step 1: Pull the SQL Server Docker image
The first step is to pull the SQL Server Docker image from the Docker Hub. Open the Terminal app on your Mac and run the following command:
Command |
Description |
|---|---|
docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2019-latest |
Downloads the SQL Server Docker image to your Mac |
This will download the SQL Server Docker image to your Mac. It may take several minutes depending on your internet connection speed.
Step 2: Run the SQL Server container
Once you have downloaded the SQL Server Docker image, you can use it to run a SQL Server container on your Mac. Run the following command in the Terminal app:
Command |
Description |
|---|---|
docker run -e 'ACCEPT_EULA=Y' -e 'SA_PASSWORD=YourStrongPassword' -p 1433:1433 --name sqlserver -d mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2019-latest |
Runs a SQL Server container with the specified configuration |
This command will start a SQL Server container on your Mac, with the specified environment variables and configuration options. Note that you need to replace “YourStrongPassword” with a strong password of your choice.
Step 3: Connect to the SQL Server container
Once the SQL Server container is running, you can connect to it using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or any other SQL Server client. Here’s how:
- Open SSMS or your SQL Server client of choice
- In the server name field, enter your Mac’s IP address followed by the SQL Server port number (1433). For example, if your Mac’s IP address is 192.168.0.10, enter
192.168.0.10,1433 - Enter the SQL Server login credentials you specified in the Docker run command (SA user and the password you chose)
- You are now connected to the SQL Server container running on your Mac!
Configuring SQL Server on Mac
Once you have SQL Server up and running on your Mac, you may want to configure it to suit your needs. Here are some common configurations you may want to make:
Changing the SA password
By default, the SA account in SQL Server has a weak password. To change it, follow these steps:
- Connect to the SQL Server container using SSMS or your SQL Server client of choice
- Expand the Security folder and right-click on the “Logins” folder. Select “New Login” from the context menu
- In the “Login – New” dialog box, enter “SA” as the login name and choose a new, strong password. Make sure to uncheck the “Enforce password policy” and “Enforce password expiration” checkboxes
- Click on the “Server Roles” page and select the “sysadmin” role for the SA account
- Click “OK” to save the changes
Enabling TCP/IP connectivity
By default, SQL Server on Mac is configured to use named pipes for communication. If you want to connect to SQL Server from a remote machine, you need to enable TCP/IP connectivity. Here’s how:
- Connect to the SQL Server container using SSMS or your SQL Server client of choice
- Right-click on the SQL Server instance name and select “Properties” from the context menu
- Click on the “Connections” tab and check the “Allow remote connections to this server” checkbox
- Click “OK” to save the changes
Adding a database
Once you have connected to SQL Server, you may want to add a database to it. Here’s how:
- Connect to the SQL Server container using SSMS or your SQL Server client of choice
- Expand the Databases folder and right-click on it. Select “New Database” from the context menu
- In the “New Database” dialog box, enter the database name and choose the initial size and growth options
- Click “OK” to create the database
FAQs
1. Can I run SQL Server on my Mac without using Docker?
No. Microsoft only provides SQL Server for Mac as a Docker container. You need to install Docker and run the SQL Server container in it.
2. Do I need a license to run SQL Server on my Mac?
Yes. SQL Server is not open source, and you need a license to use it. However, Microsoft provides a Developer edition of SQL Server for free, which you can use for non-production purposes.
3. Can I use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) on my Mac?
No. SSMS is a Windows application and cannot be installed on Mac. However, there are several third-party SQL Server clients available for Mac, such as Azure Data Studio and TablePlus.
4. Can I use SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) on my Mac?
No. SSIS is a Windows application and cannot be installed on Mac. However, you can use Azure Data Factory to perform data integration tasks on a cloud-based platform.
5. Can I use SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) on my Mac?
No. SSAS is a Windows application and cannot be installed on Mac. However, you can use Azure Analysis Services to perform data analysis tasks on a cloud-based platform.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to run SQL Server on your Mac using Docker, and how to configure and use it. We hope this guide has been helpful to you in working with SQL Server on your Mac. Happy coding!