Microsoft SQL Server is a widely used relational database management system (RDBMS) that stores and retrieves structured data using T-SQL. It powers everything from small business applications to large-scale enterprise systems and is commonly deployed on-premises on Windows or Linux servers. Connecting SQL Server to Databox lets you pull data directly from your database, build custom metrics using SQL queries, and visualize business-critical figures alongside data from your other connected tools.
If you've already established a connection, you can reuse it to add new data sources to your Databox account.
Databox only reads data from your database — it never writes to it. Create a dedicated SQL Server login with SELECT-only permissions scoped to the database you want to connect.
CREATE LOGIN databox WITH PASSWORD = 'your_secure_password';
GO
USE your_database;
GO
CREATE USER databox FOR LOGIN databox;
GO
GRANT SELECT ON SCHEMA::dbo TO databox;
GOReplace your_database with the name of the database you want to connect, and your_secure_password with a strong password. If you need to grant access to additional schemas, repeat the GRANT SELECT ON SCHEMA statement for each one.
By default, SQL Server may have the TCP/IP protocol disabled or listening only on a dynamic port. To allow Databox to connect, enable TCP/IP and set a fixed port using SQL Server Configuration Manager.
- Open SQL Server Configuration Manager. You can find it in the Start menu, or run
SQLServerManager{version}.msc(e.g.,SQLServerManager16.mscfor SQL Server 2022). - In the left pane, expand SQL Server Network Configuration and click Protocols for {your instance name}.
- Right-click TCP/IP and select Enable.
- Double-click TCP/IP and open the IP Addresses tab.
- Scroll to the IPAll section at the bottom:
- Clear the TCP Dynamic Ports field (set it to blank).
- Set TCP Port to
1433.
- Click OK.
- In the left pane, click SQL Server Services, right-click your SQL Server instance, and select Restart to apply the changes.
Open port 1433/TCP for inbound connections from the Databox IP address 52.4.198.118 on your server's firewall. The exact steps depend on your infrastructure:
Windows Firewall (Command Prompt, run as Administrator):
netsh advfirewall firewall add rule name="Databox SQL Server" protocol=TCP dir=in localport=1433 action=allow remoteip=52.4.198.118Linux (iptables):
iptables -A INPUT -s 52.4.198.118/32 -p tcp --dport 1433 -j ACCEPTCloud-hosted VM (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud): Add an inbound rule to your instance's network security group or firewall policy allowing TCP on port 1433 from 52.4.198.118/32.
- In Databox, go to Data Sources > + New connection.
- Search for Microsoft SQL Server and click Connect.
- Fill in the connection form:
- Data source name — a label for this connection in Databox.
- Server name — the hostname or IP address of your SQL Server.
- Port — the port SQL Server listens on. The default is
1433. - Username — the SQL Server login name created in Step 1.
- Password — the password for that login.
- Database name (optional) — the specific database to connect to. Leave blank to connect at the server level.
- Timezone — the time zone used to interpret date values in query results. Defaults to
Etc/UTC.
- Click Connect.
The Microsoft SQL Server integration supports the creation of datasets, which allow you to define and shape the specific data you want to use for reporting in Databox. Datasets make it easier to focus on the most relevant information, enabling you to filter, visualize, and analyze metrics across projects, teams, and clients without writing complex queries each time.
- Select a table: Pick the appropriate schema within that database.
- Select columns: Browse and select the specific columns (fields) from your tables or views to include in your dataset. These columns define the structure and content of your dataset.
For more advanced use cases, you can write a custom SQL query instead of selecting columns manually. This allows you to:
- Join multiple tables
- Apply filters and aggregations
- Format or transform data before importing it into Databox
Your query must return a valid tabular result to be used as a dataset.
- SQL Server documentation — Official Microsoft documentation hub covering installation, T-SQL syntax, security, replication, and release notes for all supported versions.
- SQL Server Configuration Manager — Reference for managing SQL Server services, network protocols, and client configuration.
For comprehensive details on metrics, data availability, templates, specifications, usage guidelines, and other key information, refer to the resources listed below.
FAQ
Can I connect a named SQL Server instance?
Yes. For a named instance (e.g., SERVERNAME\INSTANCENAME), enter the full instance name in the Server name field and ensure the SQL Server Browser service is running on your server. Alternatively, if you have configured the named instance to listen on a fixed port, enter that port in the Port field instead of the default 1433.
What should I do if Databox cannot connect to my SQL Server?
Check the following in order:
- TCP/IP is enabled in SQL Server Configuration Manager and the instance is listening on port
1433 - The SQL Server service was restarted after enabling TCP/IP or changing the port
- Your firewall permits inbound TCP traffic on port
1433from52.4.198.118 - The SQL Server login exists at the server level and a corresponding user with
SELECTpermissions exists in the target database
