SQL Server Installation

Installing MS SQL Server

Since this guide is for beginners, we will be looking at two editions of MS SQL Server 2019 - Express & Developer Editions

SQL Server edition	Definition
Developer	SQL Server Developer edition lets developers build any kind of application on top of SQL Server. It includes all the functionality of the Enterprise edition but is licensed for use as a development and test system, not as a production server. SQL Server Developer is an ideal choice for people who build and test applications.
Express	Express edition is the entry-level, free database and is ideal for learning and building desktop and small server data-driven applications. It is the best choice for independent software vendors, developers, and hobbyists building client applications. If you need more advanced database features, SQL Server Express can be seamlessly upgraded to other higher-end versions of SQL Server. SQL Server Express LocalDB is a lightweight version of Express that has all of its programmability features, runs in user mode, and has a fast, zero-configuration installation and a short list of prerequisites.

System Requirements

Minimum hardware and software requirements to install and run SQL Server 2019 (15.x) on the Windows operating system are ¹

Component	Requirement
Hard Disk	A minimum of 6 GB of available space
Memory	Minimum: 512 GB, Recommended: 1 GB for Express Editions and At least 4 GB for All other editions
Processor	Minimum: x64 Processor: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating system	Windows 10 TH1 1507 or greater Windows Server 2016 or greater
.NET Framework	Minimum operating systems includes minimum .NET framework.

Download the installation package

You can get the latest version of the MS SQL Server edition using this link.

Here are direct links to editions covered in this section.

• SQL Server 2019 Developer
• SQL Server 2019 Express

Install Express Edition

Note: The process for installing the Developer edition would be same.

Run the downloaded file to start the installation process.

1. You can choose between three installation types - Basic, Custom, Download Media.

• Basic installation is the quickest, it installs the default configuration of SQL Server Database Engine.
• Custom allows you to specify the install location and customize which features are installed.
• Download Media lets you download the setup files for an offline installation.

2. We will be using the Custom installation type. Choose the center tile to proceed.
   
3. Specify the location and click Install to start.
   
   Depending on your connection speed, the process might take some time.
   
   Once the download is finished, the SQL Server Installation Center window will be displayed.
4. Choose New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation option and proceed.
   
5. Next, windows will display SQL Express Server license terms. Check the box I accept the license terms and Privacy Statement and click Next.
   
6. Check the box Use Microsoft Update to check for updates to include updates to SQL Server 2019 in the scheduled Windows updates and click Next.
   
7. Install Rules screen displays potential problems with the installation. Resolve all Failed status entries and proceed with the installation by clicking Next.
   
8. Feature Selection screen allows you to choose which elements of SQL Server 2019 to install and define the install directories. Click Next to proceed.
   
9. Instance Configuration screen allows you to choose between the default and custom instance names. For this guide, we are using the Named instance option and keeping the default suggested names. Click Next to proceed.
   
10. Database Engine Configuration screen allows you to specify the authentication mode for your SQL server. For this guide, we are using the Mixed Mode option and adding the user "username" as an administrator. Click Next to proceed.
    
11. Next screen will display the current installation progress.
    
12. Once the installation is complete, the new screen displays an overview of the installed features. Click Close to close the installation window.
    

Footnotes

1. SQL Server 2019: Hardware and software requirements ↩