title

Install SQL Server on Server Core

description

You can install SQL Server on a Server Core installation. The Server Core installation option provides a minimal environment for running specific server roles.

author

rwestMSFT

ms.author

randolphwest

ms.date

07/14/2026

ms.service

sql

ms.subservice

install

ms.topic

install-set-up-deploy

ms.custom

intro-installation

sfi-ropc-blocked

monikerRange

>=sql-server-2017

Install SQL Server on Server Core

[!INCLUDE SQL Server -Windows Only]

You can install [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on a Server Core installation.

The Server Core installation option provides a minimal environment for running specific server roles. This environment helps reduce maintenance and management requirements and lowers the attack surface for those server roles.

For a list of currently supported operating systems, see:

Prerequisites

Requirement	How to install
[!INCLUDE dnprdnshort] 4.7.2 ¹	For all editions of [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] except [!INCLUDE ssExpress], Setup requires the [!INCLUDE dnprdnshort] 4.7.2 Server Core Profile. SQL Server Setup automatically installs this version if it's not already installed. Installation requires a restart. To avoid a restart, install [!INCLUDE dnprdnshort] before running setup.
Windows Installer 4.5	Shipped with Server Core installation.
Windows PowerShell	Shipped with Server Core installation.
Java Runtime	To use PolyBase, you need to install the appropriate Java Runtime. For more information, see Install PolyBase on Windows.

¹ [!INCLUDE sssql17-md] requires [!INCLUDE dnprdnshort] 4.6.1. You can upgrade [!INCLUDE dnprdnshort] after installing [!INCLUDE ssnoversion-md].

Supported features

Use the following table to find which features are supported in [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] on a Server Core installation.

Feature	Supported
[!INCLUDE ssDE] Services	Yes
[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] Replication	Yes
Full Text Search	Yes
[!INCLUDE ssASnoversion]	Yes
[!INCLUDE rsql_productname_md]	Yes
[!INCLUDE ssRSnoversion]	No
[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] Data Tools (SSDT)	No
Client Tools Connectivity	Yes
Integration Services Server	Yes
Client Tools Backward Compatibility	No
Client Tools SDK	No
[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] Books Online	No
Management Tools - Basic	Remote Only ¹
Management Tools - Complete	Remote Only ¹
Distributed Replay Controller	No
Distributed Replay Client	Remote Only ¹
SQL Client Connectivity SDK	Yes
Microsoft Sync Framework	Yes ²
[!INCLUDE ssMDSshort]	No
[!INCLUDE ssDQSnoversion]	No

¹ Installation of these features on Server Core isn't supported. You can install these components on a different server that isn't Server Core and connect to the [!INCLUDE ssDE] services installed on Server Core.

² Microsoft Sync Framework isn't included in the [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] installation package. You can download the appropriate version of Sync Framework from this Microsoft Download Center page and install it on a computer that is running Server Core.

Supported scenarios

The following table shows the supported scenario matrix for installing [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] on a Server Core.

Installation	Valid target
[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] editions	All [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] 64-bit editions
[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] language	All languages
[!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] language on OS language/locale (combination)	ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on JPN (Japanese) Windows ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on GER (German) Windows ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on CHS (Chinese-China) Windows ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on ARA (Arabic (SA)) Windows ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on THA (Thai) Windows ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on TRK (Turkish) Windows ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on pt-PT (Portuguese Portugal) Windows ENG [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on ENG (English) Windows
Windows edition	Windows Server 2025 Datacenter Windows Server 2025 Datacenter: Azure Edition Windows Server 2025 Standard Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition Windows Server 2022 Standard Windows Server 2019 Datacenter Windows Server 2019 Standard Windows Server 2016 Datacenter ¹ Windows Server 2016 Standard ¹

¹ [!INCLUDE sssql25-md] doesn't support Windows Server 2016.

Upgrade

On Server Core installations, upgrades between supported versions of [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] follow the same paths as upgrades on the full Windows Server operating system.

For supported upgrade paths, see:

Install

[!INCLUDE ssnoversion] doesn't support setup by using the installation wizard on the Server Core operating system. When installing on Server Core, [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] Setup supports full quiet mode by using the /Q parameter, or Quiet Simple mode by using the /QS parameter. For more information, see Install, configure, or uninstall SQL Server on Windows from the command prompt.

Regardless of the installation method, you must confirm acceptance of the software license terms as an individual or on behalf of an entity, unless your use of the software is governed by a separate agreement such as a [!INCLUDE msCoName] volume licensing agreement or a third-party agreement with an ISV or OEM.

Review and accept the license terms in the Setup user interface. Unattended installations (using the /Q or /QS parameters) must include the /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS parameter. You can review the license terms separately at Microsoft Software License Terms.

[!INCLUDE sql-eula-link]

Note

Depending on how you received the software (for example, through [!INCLUDE msCoName] volume licensing), your use of the software might be subject to additional terms and conditions.

To install specific features, use the /FEATURES parameter and specify the parent feature or feature values. For more information about feature parameters and their use, see the following sections.

Feature parameters

Feature parameter	Description
`SQLENGINE`	Installs only the [!INCLUDE ssDE].
`REPLICATION`	Installs the Replication component along with [!INCLUDE ssDE].
`FULLTEXT`	Installs the FullText component along with [!INCLUDE ssDE].
`AS`	Installs all [!INCLUDE ssASnoversion] components.
`IS`	Installs all [!INCLUDE ssISnoversion] components.
`CONN`	Installs the connectivity components.
`ADVANCEDANALYTICS`	Installs R Services, requires the database engine. Unattended installations require `/IACCEPTROPENLICENSETERMS` parameter.

See the following examples of the usage of feature parameters:

Parameter and values	Description
`/FEATURES=SQLEngine`	Installs only the [!INCLUDE ssDE].
`/FEATURES=SQLEngine,FullText`	Installs the [!INCLUDE ssDE] and full-text.
`/FEATURES=SQLEngine,Conn`	Installs the [!INCLUDE ssDE] and the connectivity components.
`/FEATURES=SQLEngine,AS,IS,Conn`	Installs the [!INCLUDE ssDE], [!INCLUDE ssASnoversion], [!INCLUDE ssISnoversion], and the connectivity components.
`/FEATURES=SQLENGINE,ADVANCEDANALYTICS /IACCEPTROPENLICENSETERMS`	Installs the [!INCLUDE ssDE] and [!INCLUDE rsql_productname_md].

[!INCLUDE editions-supported-features-windows]

Installation options

The Setup supports the following installation options while installing [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] on a Server Core operating system:

Installation from command line

To install specific features, use the command prompt installation option. Use the /FEATURES parameter and specify the parent feature or feature values. The following example shows how to use the parameters from the command line:

setup.exe /qs /ACTION=Install /FEATURES=SQLEngine,Replication /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER /SQLSVCACCOUNT="<DomainName\UserName>" /SQLSVCPASSWORD="<StrongPassword>" /SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS="<DomainName\UserName>" /AGTSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\Network Service" /TCPENABLED=1 /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS

Installation using configuration file

Setup supports the use of the configuration file only through the command prompt. The configuration file is a text file with the basic structure of a parameter (name/value pair) and a descriptive comment. The configuration file specified at the command prompt should have an .ini file name extension. See the following examples of ConfigurationFile.ini:

Installing [!INCLUDE ssDE]:

The following example shows how to install a new stand-alone instance that includes the [!INCLUDE ssdenoversion-md]:

; SQL Server Configuration File
[OPTIONS]

; Specifies a Setup work flow, like INSTALL, UNINSTALL, or UPGRADE. This is a required parameter.
ACTION="Install"

; Specifies features to install, uninstall, or upgrade. The lists of features include SQLEngine, FullText, Replication, AS, IS, and Conn.
FEATURES=SQLENGINE

; Specify a default or named instance. MSSQLSERVER is the default instance for non-Express editions and SQLExpress for Express editions. This parameter is   required when installing the ssNoVersion Database Engine, and Analysis Services (AS).
INSTANCENAME="MSSQLSERVER"

; Specify the Instance ID for the ssNoVersion features you have specified. ssNoVersion directory structure, registry structure, and service names will   incorporate the instance ID of the ssNoVersion instance.
INSTANCEID="MSSQLSERVER"

; Account for ssNoVersion service: Domain\User or system account.
SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT Service\MSSQLSERVER"

; Windows account(s) to provision as ssNoVersion system administrators.
SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS="\<DomainName\UserName>"

; Accept the License agreement to continue with Installation
IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms="True"

Installing connectivity components. The following example shows how to install the connectivity components:

; SQL Server Configuration File
[OPTIONS]

; Specifies a Setup work flow, like INSTALL, UNINSTALL, or UPGRADE. This is a required parameter.
ACTION="Install"

; Specifies features to install, uninstall, or upgrade. The lists of features include SQLEngine, FullText, Replication, AS, IS, and Conn.
FEATURES=Conn

; Specifies acceptance of License Terms
IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms="True

Installing all supported features:

The following example shows how to install all supported features of [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] on Server Core:

; SQL Server Configuration File
[OPTIONS]
; Specifies a Setup work flow, like INSTALL, UNINSTALL, or UPGRADE. This is a required parameter.
ACTION="Install"

; Specifies features to install, uninstall, or upgrade. The lists of features include SQLEngine, FullText, Replication, AS, IS, and Conn.
FEATURES=SQLENGINE,FullText,Replication,AS,IS,Conn

; Specify a default or named instance. MSSQLSERVER is the default instance for non-Express editions and SQLExpress for Express editions. This parameter is  required when installing the ssNoVersion Database Engine (SQL), or Analysis Services (AS).
INSTANCENAME="MSSQLSERVER"

; Specify the Instance ID for the ssNoVersion features you have specified. ssNoVersion directory structure, registry structure, and service names will  incorporate the instance ID of the ssNoVersion instance.
INSTANCEID="MSSQLSERVER"

; Account for ssNoVersion service: Domain\User or system account.
SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT Service\MSSQLSERVER"

; Windows account(s) to provision as ssNoVersion system administrators.
SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS="\<DomainName\UserName>"

; The name of the account that the Analysis Services service runs under.
ASSVCACCOUNT= "NT Service\MSSQLServerOLAPService"

; Specifies the list of administrator accounts that need to be provisioned.
ASSYSADMINACCOUNTS="\<DomainName\UserName>"

; Specifies the server mode of the Analysis Services instance. Valid values are MULTIDIMENSIONAL, POWERPIVOT or TABULAR. ASSERVERMODE is case-sensitive.  All values must be expressed in upper case.
ASSERVERMODE="MULTIDIMENSIONAL"

; Optional value, which specifies the state of the TCP protocol for the ssNoVersion service. Supported values are: 0 to disable the TCP protocol, and 1 to  enable the TCP protocol.
TCPENABLED=1

; Specifies acceptance of License Terms
IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms="True"

The following example shows how you can launch Setup using a custom or default configuration file:

Launch setup using a custom configuration file:

To specify the configuration file at the command prompt:
```
setup.exe /QS /ConfigurationFile=MyConfigurationFile.INI
```

To specify passwords at the command prompt instead of in the configuration file:

setup.exe /QS /SQLSVCPASSWORD="************" /ASSVCPASSWORD="************"  /ConfigurationFile=MyConfigurationFile.INI

Launch setup using DefaultSetup.ini:

If you have the DefaultSetup.ini file in the \x86 and \x64 folders at the root level of the [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] source media, open the DefaultSetup.ini file, and then add the Features parameter to the file.

If the DefaultSetup.ini file doesn't exist, you can create it and copy it to the \x86 and \x64 folders at the root level of the [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] source media.

Configure remote access for SQL Server on Server Core

To configure remote access for a [!INCLUDE ssnoversion] instance running on Server Core, complete the following steps.

Enable remote connections on the instance of SQL Server

To enable remote connections, use SQLCMD.exe locally and execute the following statements against the Server Core instance:

EXECUTE sys.sp_configure N'remote access', N'1';
GO
RECONFIGURE WITH OVERRIDE;
GO

Enable and start the SQL Server Browser service

By default, the Browser service is disabled. If it's disabled on an instance of [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] running on Server Core, run the following command from the command prompt to enable it:

Set-Service sqlbrowser -StartupType Auto

After you enable it, run the following command from the command prompt to start the service:

Start-Service sqlbrowser

Create exceptions in Windows Firewall

To create exceptions for [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] access in Windows Firewall, follow the steps specified in Configure the Windows Firewall to allow SQL Server access.

Enable TCP/IP on the instance of SQL Server

You can enable the TCP/IP protocol through Windows PowerShell for an instance of [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] on Server Core. Follow these steps:

In PowerShell, run: Import-Module SQLPS.

In the Microsoft [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion] PowerShell window, run the following script to enable the TCP/IP protocol:

$smo = 'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.'
$wmi = new-object ($smo + 'Wmi.ManagedComputer')
# Enable the TCP protocol on the default instance. If the instance is named, replace MSSQLSERVER with the instance name in the following line.
$uri = "ManagedComputer[@Name='" + (get-item env:\computername).Value + "']/ServerInstance[@Name='MSSQLSERVER']/ServerProtocol[@Name='Tcp']"
$Tcp = $wmi.GetSmoObject($uri)
$Tcp.IsEnabled = $true
$Tcp.Alter()
$Tcp

Uninstall

After you sign in to a computer that is running Server Core, you have a limited desktop environment with an Administrator command prompt. Use this command prompt to launch the uninstall of [!INCLUDE ssnoversion]. To uninstall an instance of [!INCLUDE ssnoversion], launch the uninstallation from the command prompt in full quiet mode by using the /Q parameter, or Quiet Simple mode by using the /QS parameter. The /QS parameter shows progress through the UI, but doesn't accept any input. /Q runs in a quiet mode without any user interface.

To uninstall an existing instance of [!INCLUDE ssNoVersion]:

setup.exe /Q /Action=Uninstall /FEATURES=SQLEngine,AS,IS /INSTANCENAME=MSSQLSERVER

To remove a named instance, specify the name of the instance instead of MSSQLSERVER in the preceding example.

Start a new command prompt

If you accidentally close the command prompt, you can start a new command prompt by following these steps:

Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to display Task Manager.
On the Applications tab, select New Task.
In the Create New Task dialog box, type cmd in the Open field and then select OK.

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Install SQL Server on Server Core

Prerequisites

Supported features

Supported scenarios

Upgrade

Install

Feature parameters

Installation options

Configure remote access for SQL Server on Server Core

Enable remote connections on the instance of SQL Server

Enable and start the SQL Server Browser service

Create exceptions in Windows Firewall

Enable TCP/IP on the instance of SQL Server

Uninstall

Start a new command prompt

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Install SQL Server on Server Core

Prerequisites

Supported features

Supported scenarios

Upgrade

Install

Feature parameters

Installation options

Configure remote access for SQL Server on Server Core

Enable remote connections on the instance of SQL Server

Enable and start the SQL Server Browser service

Create exceptions in Windows Firewall

Enable TCP/IP on the instance of SQL Server

Uninstall

Start a new command prompt

Related content