* *nix: PHP with mssql extension and [FreeTDS](http://freetds.org)
* Windows: PHP with [SQL Server Driver for PHP](http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=ccdf728b-1ea0-48a8-a84a-5052214caad9) "sqlsrv" 2.0+
Note: [SQL Server 2008 R2 Express](http://www.microsoft.com/express/Database/) can also be used which is provided free by Microsoft. However, it has limitations such as 10GB maximum database storage.
The easiest way to get up and running with SQL Server on SilverStripe is using the installer:
* Visit [http://www.silverstripe.org/microsoft-sql-server-database/](http://www.silverstripe.org/microsoft-sql-server-database/) and download the latest stable version
* Extract the contents so they reside as an **mssql** directory inside your SilverStripe project code
* Open the installer by browsing to install.php, e.g. **http://localhost/silverstripe/install.php**
* Select **SQL Server 2008+** in the database list and enter your SQL Server database details
## Troubleshooting
Q: SQL Server resides on a remote host (a different machine) and I can't connect to it from mine.
A: Please ensure you have enabled TCP access using **SQL Server Configuration Manager** and [opened firewall ports](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms175043.aspx).
Q: I just installed an instance of SQL Server that isn't the default, but it says that it cannot connect.
A: Make sure that your server name is made in this format: **(local)\SQLExpress**.The first part before the slash indicates the server host, or IP address. In this case, (local) indicates localhost, which is the same server PHP is running on. The second part is the SQL Server instance name to connect to, which is useful for multiple instances. One example of a non-default instance is **SQLExpress**.
Q: I'm getting unicode SQL Server errors connecting to SQL Server database
A: If you are using FreeTDS make sure you're using TDS version 8.0 in **/etc/freetds/freetds.conf** (or wherever it's installed). If on Windows, ensure you use the [SQL Server Driver for PHP](http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=ccdf728b-1ea0-48a8-a84a-5052214caad9) and **NOT** the mssql drivers provided by PHP.
Q: Using FreeTDS I can't connect to my SQL Server database. An error in PHP says the server doesn't exist
A: Make sure you've got an entry in **/etc/freetds/freetds.conf** (or wheverever it's installed) that points to your server. For example:
[myserver]
host = myserver.mydomain.com
port = 1433
tds version = 8.0
Then you can use "myserver" (the bit in square brackets above) as the server name when connecting to the database.
**Note**: Use *tabs* not spaces when editing freetds.conf, otherwise it will not load the configuration you have specified!
**Note**: Certain distributions of Linux use [SELinux](http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SELinux) which could block access to your SQL Server database. A rule may need to be added to allow this traffic through.
