In this article, we will show you how to install Microsoft SQL Server 2017 and perform the initial setup. We will be using Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Standard as an example, but you can similarly configure other editions of SQL Server.
1) The first thing you need to do is download the installer. You can download it from our server:
– Download Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Standard
2) Open the installer and start the installation. In the menu on the left, click “Installation” => “New SQL Server stand-alone installation”.
3) In the new window, you will be asked to choose a free version of the installation, such as “Evaluation”. If you have a product key for SQL Server 2017 Standard or any other full-function key, enter it.
When installing SQL Server 2017, it will offer you a trial key, similar to Evaluation – PHDV4-3VJWD-N7JVP-FGPKY-XBV89. For this test, we will use it. (Note: This trial key works only for 180 days. After that, without a valid product key, the application will lose functionality. You can purchase a full version product key for Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Standard in our catalog on the next page. The key is delivered instantly to your email.) After entering the key, click “Next”.
4) Agree to the license terms.
5) Agree to download updates if you have internet access (this is optional).
6) In the next window, you will be prompted to select the components of MS SQL Server you want to install. Choose the necessary components for your tasks and proceed.
7) Now you need to install an instance. If no SQL Server is installed on your server or virtual machine, you can choose “Default instance”. If SQL Server was previously installed and you are adding another instance, select “Named instance” and give it a name.
8) In the next window, you will be prompted to select service accounts. These are the accounts under which SQL Server Agent, SQL Server Database, and SQL Server Browser services will start. By default, personalized accounts are used.
You can choose your domain account if your network operates on a domain (the server is part of the domain).
Don’t forget to choose how the services will start: automatically, manually, or disabled if they are not needed for your tasks.
It’s recommended that the selected accounts should not be “administrators” of the SQL Server.
In the same window, go to the Collation tab.
Collation is the setting for the character encoding table, sorting order, case sensitivity, and more.
9) Next, you will be prompted to select the server configuration. Here you can choose whether to connect only with Windows logins to the SQL Server or use Mixed mode, allowing connections with internal SQL Server accounts created within SQL Server.
At this stage, it makes sense to click “Add Current User” to add the current user, and you can also add your domain account.
In the same window, go to the “Data Directories” tab. Here, you can select the Root directory, the directory where databases will be created by default, the log files directory, and the backup directory. Ideally, each directory should be on different hard drives.
In the next tab, configure the TempDB settings. TempDB is a system database used for storing temporary objects.
The number of files is set by default based on the number of cores.
Initialization size in megabytes – it makes sense to increase the size to at least 16 or 32 MB.
Autogrowth MB – this is the number of megabytes that will be added when the file is filled to 100%. Choose based on your tasks and database size. By default, the average size is 64 MB, but it should not exceed 1 GB to maintain performance. If you are unsure of the database load, leave it as is.
The directory for temporary files should ideally be on a separate disk.
The next tab is Filestream settings – this allows you to store files in the NTFS file system. It can be enabled or disabled, depending on your needs.
10) In the “Ready to Install” section, you can see all the settings you previously configured.
Click “Next” and wait for the installation to complete.
If everything installs successfully, all components will be marked “Succeeded” at the end.
