Step-by-Step Guide to Install SQL Server 2019 on Linux

Install SQL Server 2019 on Linux

Introduction

From SQL Server 2017, Microsoft has provided the option to install the SQL Server on Linux as well.

Why Choose SQL Server 2019 for Linux?

We can install Microsoft SQL Server 2019 on a Linux environment & utilize the benefits of the Linux ecosystem. By installing Microsoft SQL Server 2019 on Linux, we can use the power of RDBMS as well as the flexibility and open-source advantages of Linux.

SQL Server 2019 for Linux provides the facility to migrate SQL Server cross-platform smoothly, utilize enterprise-grade features, intelligent query processing, enhanced security, high availability, and support for big data clusters.

System Requirements

Before starting SQL Server installation, check whether the system meets the minimum requirements to run SQL Server 2019 or not. Now, SQL Server supports multiple distributions of Linux like Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.0 - 8.6 Server (RHEL), SUSE Enterprise Linux Server v15 (SP1 - SP3) (SLES),  and obliviously Docker Engine 1.8+ on Linux. The file system should be either XFS or EXT4.

Install SQL server 2019 using GUI

To start the installation of Microsoft SQL Server 2019 on the server, we need to follow below steps:

Step 1: Download SQL Server 2019

To start the installation of SQL Server 2019, we need to download the installation media from the Microsoft website and consider the below points to avoid any confusion or issue:-

a) Should have confirmation on the Version and edition of the MS SQL server.

b) What are the features we need to install on the server like SSIS, SSRS, PolyBase, DQC, etc.

c) Service account should be available with a strong password & Password Never Expire feature. This account should have administrator privileges on the server.

d) Separate drives with a good amount of free space should be available on the server.

e) The server should meet hardware and software prerequisites.

f) Never store SQL binaries on the C drive.

Install SQL server 2019 using PowerShell

Why do we use PowerShell for SQL Server installation?

The PowerShell is really a powerful tool that helps us to automate our tasks and reduce our time & also human error. PowerShell can help us during SQL Server installation in many ways:

PowerShell can help us to install SQL Server on multiple machines simultaneously in one go. Allows to save effort, time, and obviously cost also.

Using PowerShell, we can automate the whole installation and configuration of SQL Server settings. For example, creating multiple TempDB files as per CPUs, memory allocation as per available physical memory on the server, disk storage, security policies, etc.

Prerequisites for SQL Server 2019 installation

Before starting SQL Server installation, we need to check our system/server whether it is meeting minimum hardware and software requirements or not. 

Pre-requisites for SQL Server 2019 are given below: