Network Management

Supported SolarWinds database collations for SolarWinds Platform 2015.1 or later

SolarWinds supports the following database collations on the SQL Server: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS. German_PhoneBook_CI_AS. Japanese_CI_AS. Chinese_PRC_CI_AS. You can change SQL Server Collation manually via cmd prompt command. Doing so would mean your DBA would need to take ownership.

First published date

10/30/2018 2:28 PM

Last published date

6/4/2025 7:25 PM

Overview

Using a supported database collation is important for some functions of SolarWinds Platform products. For example, in unsupported collations, DateTime formats may vary, and this can cause errors.

Note: The SolarWinds Platform does NOT support case-sensitive database collations. However, the SQL server can be both case-sensitive and case-insensitive.

SolarWinds supports the following SolarWinds Platform and Temp Database collations:

English with collation setting SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS (most commonly used)
English with collation setting SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CS_AS
German with collation setting German_PhoneBook_CI_AS
Japanese with collation setting Japanese_CI_AS
Simplified Chinese with collation setting Chinese_PRC_CI_AS

SolarWinds recommends that you use the same collation for both the SolarWinds Platform and Temp databases, as SolarWinds tables are created in Temp database first and collation mismatch can cause issues.

Product section

Orion Platform

Cause

In unsupported collations, DateTime formats may vary and cause errors. The SolarWinds Platform database does not support case-sensitive database collations.

Resolution

If you are not using a supported collation, you must re-install your instance of SQL with a supported collation.

Create a backup of your data.
Re-install your SQL instance with a supported collation.
Re-create your tables.
Import your data.

It is also possible to change SQL Server Collation manually via cmd prompt.

Changing the SQL Server Collation manually requires that your DBA needs to take ownership. SolarWinds cannot take these steps as there are risks involved and DBA will need to process with care.

The following steps describe how to edit the SQL Server Instance Collation without reinstalling. The steps are useful when you have installed a new SQL Instance and haven't attached or created a database yet.

Check the collation in SQL Management Studio.
For example, your collation could be Danish_Norwegian_CI_AS.

To edit the SQL Instance Collation, stop the SQL Server Instance. You can use Services.msc, cmd or SQL Management Studio to do this.

-- Scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service. -- Scripts are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further -- disclaims all warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties -- of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk arising -- out of the use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you. -- In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation, -- production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever -- (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business -- interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising -- out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or documentation.

NET STOP "MSSQLServer"

Execute the command below.

-- Scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service.
-- Scripts are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further
-- disclaims all warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties
-- of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk arising
-- out of the use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you.
-- In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation,
-- production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever
-- (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business
-- interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising
-- out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or documentation.

sqlservr -m -T4022 -T3659 -s"MSSQLServer" -q"SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS"

The parameter -s is only necessary if more than one SQL Server instance exists on the target machine. Parameters used:

At the end of a long SQL message, you can find the information that the Collation updated successfully.

[-m] single user admin mode
[-T] trace flag turned on at startup
[-s] sql server instance name
[-q] new collation to be applied

Close the cmd prompt window after the execution ends.
Change the collation of the SolarWinds Platform database:
1. Connect to the Database Engine.
2. Click New Query in the Standard bar, and run the following SQL query:
```
-- Scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service.
-- Scripts are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further
-- disclaims all warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties
-- of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk arising
-- out of the use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you.
-- In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation,
-- production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever
-- (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business
-- interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising
-- out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or documentation.

USE master; 
GO
ALTER DATABASE YourOrionDatabaseName
COLLATE SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS ; 
GO
```
3. Verify the database collation setting.
  
  -- Scripts are not supported under any SolarWinds support program or service.
  -- Scripts are provided AS IS without warranty of any kind. SolarWinds further
  -- disclaims all warranties including, without limitation, any implied warranties
  -- of merchantability or of fitness for a particular purpose. The risk arising
  -- out of the use or performance of the scripts and documentation stays with you.
  -- In no event shall SolarWinds or anyone else involved in the creation,
  -- production, or delivery of the scripts be liable for any damages whatsoever
  -- (including, without limitation, damages for loss of business profits, business
  -- interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising
  -- out of the use of or inability to use the scripts or documentation.
  
  SELECT name, collation_name
  FROM sys.databases
  WHERE name = N'YourOrionDatabaseName';
  GO

Disclaimer: Please note, any content posted herein is provided as a suggestion or recommendation to you for your internal use. This is not part of the SolarWinds software or documentation that you purchased from SolarWinds, and the information set forth herein may come from third parties. Your organization should internally review and assess to what extent, if any, such custom scripts or recommendations will be incorporated into your environment. You elect to use third-party content at your own risk, and you will be solely responsible for the incorporation of the same if any.