Docker containers offer a breath of fresh air by providing an isolated and consistent environment for PostgreSQL. Say goodbye to conflicts and hello to uniformity across various stages of development and deployment. It's like having a reliable, well-behaved companion for your database needs.

Lets get it started:

To install SQL Server in Docker, you can follow these general steps. Please note that the commands and steps are based on Windows. These instructions assume you have Docker installed on your machine.

1. Pull the SQL Server Docker Image:

Open a terminal or command prompt and run the following command to pull the SQL Server Docker image from the official Microsoft repository:

docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server
  • If you installed Docker Desktop, you need to start it the command to work.
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Downloading Docker Image

2. Run a SQL Server Container:

Use the following command to run a SQL Server container. Replace [PASSWORD] with a strong password for the SA (System Administrator) account. You can also customize other parameters like the container name, port, and environment variables:

docker run -e "ACCEPT_EULA=Y" -e "SA_PASSWORD=Password_123#" -p 1433:1433 --name sql_server_container -d mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server

Explanation of the parameters:

  • -e 'ACCEPT_EULA=Y': Accept the End-User Licensing Agreement.
  • -e 'SA_PASSWORD': Set the SA password.
  • -p 1433:1433: Map the host port 1433 to the container port 1433.
  • --name sql_server_container: Give the container a name (you can choose any name).
  • -d: Run the container in the background.

3. Connect to SQL Server:

Once the container is running, you can connect to SQL Server using a SQL Server client or tools like SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio. Connect to the server using the following details:

  • Server: localhost,1433
  • Username: sa
  • Password: Use the password you specified in the SA_PASSWORD environment variable.

Additional Notes:

  • If you want to stop the container, use the following command:
docker stop sql_server_container
  • To remove the container (after stopping it), use:
docker rm sql_server_container
  • If you need to start the container again, use:
docker start sql_server_container

Keep in mind that this is a basic setup, and you might want to explore more advanced configurations depending on your specific requirements, such as mounting volumes for persistent data storage and specifying additional environment variables. Always refer to the official Microsoft documentation for the most up-to-date information and best practices.

Common Issues

Container not starting.

Check the logs for guidence.

docker logs sql_server_container