Network Management

Databases used by SolarWinds Platform modules

This page provides an overview of the types of databases used by SolarWinds Platform modules.

First published date

10/15/2018 2:50 PM

Last published date

5/27/2025 9:57 PM

Overview

This page provides an overview of the types of databases used by SolarWinds Platform modules, including NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA), Log Analyzer (LA), and Log Viewer (LV).

Product section

Network Performance Monitor

Resolution

SolarWinds Platform products use the databases listed below:
 

SolarWinds Platform database 

A Windows SQL server that should be hosted on a dedicated server in a production environment. It stores SolarWinds Platform configuration data and all collected performance data. If you use the legacy syslog or traps monitoring in SolarWinds Platform 2020.2.6 and earlier, the SolarWinds Platform database also stores syslogs and traps. For more information on deployment and system requirements, see the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide.
 

NTA SQL Flow Storage database 

A Windows SQL server for storing flow data. NTA 4.4 or later requires MS SQL Server 2016 SP1 or later version for the Flow Storage database. Please make sure you have an MS SQL 2016 database instance available for your installation.

SolarWinds supports two types of deployment for the NTA SQL Flow Storage database:

  • SolarWinds Platform database and NTA SQL Flow Storage database on one SQL server.
    • The NTA SQL Flow Storage database must be deployed on a SQL Server 2016 SP1 or later instance.
    • By default, the SQL Server 2016 SP1 Express edition is installed during express installation. You should consider changing the SQL Server edition from Express to a higher one. For instructions, see Move the NTA Flow Storage database to a different SQL server .

      As of NTA 2020.2, you can use SQL Server Express for flow data storage also in production environments, but there are certain recommendations you should review. For more information, see Impact of using SQL Express server for flow data storage.

  • SolarWinds Platform database and NTA SQL Flow Storage database on separate SQL servers.
    • SolarWinds Platform database running on SQL Server 2016 SP1 or later.
    • NTA SQL Flow Storage Database running on SQL Server 2016 SP1 or later.
    • If using SQL Server Express in a production environment, SolarWinds recommends you use separate SQL servers for the Flow Storage database and the SolarWinds Platform database. For more information, see Impact of using SQL Express server for flow data storage. image

 

For more information, see the NTA System Requirements.


LA/LV database 

A Windows SQL server for storing log data. Log Analyzer (LA) and Log Viewer (LV)* require Microsoft SQL Server version 2016 SP1 or later for the dedicated log database. For more information, see the LA Installation Guide and the LV section of the SolarWinds Platform Administrator Guide.

LA and LV replace the existing legacy syslog and trap services, but only provide a subset of the legacy functionality (no alerting or data migration). After installation of LA or LV over the legacy syslog and trap services, the records remain in the database, but will not be used by LA/LV. You can still access the read-only legacy records in the Syslog Viewer and Traps Viewer applications. All new syslog and trap messages will be stored in the dedicated log database.

When installing and configuring SQL Server 2016 SP1 or later, enable full-text search to ensure optimum event log search performance in LA/LV. You can still install LA/LV and initiate event log searches without enabling this capability, but the speed and quality of your search may be significantly reduced.
*LV is required for viewing VMware events with VMAN.