SQL Server installation and configuration

 

Applies To: Dynamics 365 (on-premises), Dynamics CRM 2016

To plan your use of Microsoft SQL Server with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Server, you must understand how Microsoft Dynamics 365 uses SQL Server, and what Microsoft Dynamics 365 Server Setup does and does not do:

  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Server requires SQL Server 64-bit versions for storing the databases that contain Microsoft Dynamics 365 data and metadata. For specific details, see SQL Server editions.

  • Reports in Microsoft Dynamics 365 depend on Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, a feature in SQL Server. Reporting Services includes two server components that are used to store, display, and manage reports: Report Server and Report Manager. A third component, Report Builder, is used to customize reports and write new reports. The Report Designer component is available for download on the Microsoft Download Center and is installed on a workstation, instead of on the computer that is running SQL Server.

  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Server Setup does not install SQL Server database engine or Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services.

There are many configurations possible based on your expected usage of Microsoft Dynamics 365. For information about the feature implications when you install Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services on a separate computer, see Editions and Components of SQL Server.

  • Although we do not recommend it, you can install SQL Server on the same computer as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Server. For better performance, install and run SQL Server on a separate dedicated computer. For better performance and improved availability, install and run SQL Server on separate multiple dedicated computers in a clustered configuration. For more information, see Set configuration and organization databases for SQL Server AlwaysOn failover.

  • Similarly, we recommend that you install Microsoft Dynamics 365 Reporting Extensions on a separate SQL Server that is running Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services. However, if needed you can install Microsoft Dynamics 365 Reporting Extensions on a SQL Server that is running Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services but also stores the Microsoft Dynamics 365 databases.

  • Although, in a multiple organization deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365, you can specify different Reporting Services servers or server instances when you create or edit an organization, only one instance of Reporting Services is supported for all organizations in the deployment. For better load balancing of reports, we recommend configuring Report Server in a Network Load Balancing (NLB) cluster. For more information, see Configure a Report Server on a Network Load Balancing Cluster.

  • Multiple Microsoft Dynamics 365 front-end servers that run in a network load balancing cluster can use the same computer that is running SQL Server.

In This Section

SQL Server requirements and recommendations for Microsoft Dynamics 365

SQL Server deployment

Additional resources for SQL Server

Prerequisites and considerations for planning your deployment of Microsoft Dynamics 365

Planning requirements for SQL Server Reporting Services

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