Network Management

Use remote Microsoft SQL Server as database

Learn more about page settings This article provides steps to use a remote Microsoft SQL server as a database.

First published date

10/22/2018 9:18 AM

Last published date

6/20/2025 8:42 PM

Overview

This article provides steps to use a remote Microsoft SQL server as a database. 

You can improve the performance of your Orion Network Performance Monitor by offloading the SQL transaction processing from your Orion server to a remote Microsoft SQL Server.

Product section

Network Performance Monitor

Resolution

1. Close all SolarWinds applications currently running on your SolarWinds Platform server.
2. Click Start > SolarWinds Platform > Configuration Wizard.
3. Click Next.
    Note: If you are prompted to stop services, click Yes.
    To ensure that all updates and changes are installed correctly, it is imperative that you stop all services.
4. Specify the remote SQL Server instance you want to use to store network data, and then provide the credentials, if necessary, to log into the selected instance.
     Notes:

  • The selected instance must support mixed mode or SQL authentication with strong passwords. A strong password must meet at least three of the following four criteria:
    • Contains at least one uppercase letter.
    • Contains at least one lowercase letter.
    • Contains at least one number.
    • Contains at least one non-alphanumeric character, for example, #, %, or ^.
    • For more information about authentication with strong passwords, see http://msdn.microsoft.com/ms143705.aspx .
  • If you are creating a new database, the user account must be a member of the dbcreator server role. The sysadmin role and the SA user account are always members of dbcreator.
  • If you are using an existing database, the user account needs only to be in the db_owner database role for the existing database.
  • If you are creating a new SQL account for use with the SolarWinds Platform, the user account must be a member of the securityadmin server role.
  • Note: The sysadmin role and the SA user account are always members of securityadmin.
  • If you are using an existing SQL account, the user account needs only to be in the db_owner database role for the SolarWinds Platform database.

5. Click Next.
6. If you are creating a new database, select Create a New Database, provide a name for the New Database, and then click Next.
7. If you are using an existing database, select Use an existing database, type the database name or select it from the Existing Database list, and then click Next.
8. If you want to create a new SQL account for the SolarWinds Platform polling engine and web console to use for accessing the database, select Create a new account, provide a New Account name and Password, confirm the account password, and then click Next.
9. If you want to use an existing SQL account for the SolarWinds Platform polling engine and web console to use for accessing the  database, select the Existing Account, provide the appropriate Password, and then click Next.
10. Click Next on the Completing the Configuration Wizard dialog.
11. Click Finish when the Configuration Wizard completes.