Database Requirements (Master Data Services)

Article
09/28/2023

Applies to: SQL Server - Windows only Azure SQL Managed Instance

All master data is stored in a Master Data Services database. The computer that hosts this database must run an instance of SQL Server Database Engine.

Use Master Data Services Configuration Manager to create and configure the Master Data Services database on either a local or a remote computer. If you move the database from one environment to another, you can maintain the information in a new environment by associating the Master Data Services web service and Master Data Manager to the database in its new location.

Note

Any computer on which you install components of Master Data Services must be licensed. For more information, refer to the End User License Agreement (EULA).

Requirements

Before you create a Master Data Services database, ensure the following requirements are met.

SQL Server Edition

The Master Data Services database can be hosted on the following editions of SQL Server:

SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Enterprise (64-bit) x64
SQL Server 2016 (13.x) Developer (64-bit) x64
SQL Server 2014 (12.x) Business Intelligence (64-bit) x64
SQL Server 2014 (12.x) Enterprise (64-bit) x64
SQL Server 2014 (12.x) Developer (64-bit) x64
SQL Server 2012 (11.x) Business Intelligence (64-bit) x64
SQL Server 2012 (11.x) Enterprise (64-bit) x64 - Upgrade from SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.50.x) Enterprise only
SQL Server 2012 (11.x) Developer (64-bit) x64
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Enterprise (64-bit) x64
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Developer (64-bit) x64

For a list of features supported by the editions of SQL Server on Windows, see:

Operating System

For information about the supported Windows operating systems and other requirements for SQL Server Database Engine, see Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2016.

Accounts and Permissions

Type	Description
User account	In Master Data Services Configuration Manager, you can use a Windows account or a SQL Server account to connect to the Database Engine instance of SQL Server to host the Master Data Services database. The user account must belong to the sysadmin server role on the instance of SQL Server Database Engine. For more information about the sysadmin role, see Server-Level Roles.
Master Data Manager administrator account	When you create a Master Data Services database, you must specify a domain user account to be the Master Data Services system administrator. For all Master Data Manager web applications associated with this database, this user can update all models and all data in all functional areas. For more information, see Administrators (Master Data Services).

Database Backup

As a best practice, back up the full database daily at a time of low activity and back up transaction logs more frequently depending on the needs of your environment. For more information about database backups, see Backup Overview (SQL Server).