Installation Guide

Database engine requirements

Updated in 2023.1

The following database engines are supported.

Microsoft SQL Server
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2012
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Express
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Express
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2016
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Express
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2017
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Express
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2019
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Express
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2022
  • Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Express

Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Microsoft SQL Server are supported.

To ensure a smooth experience, we recommend using Microsoft SQL Server with default settings.

Azure SQL
  • Azure SQL Database
  • Azure SQL Managed Instance

For production use, a service tier of S3 or greater is recommended.

Please note that hosting the database on Azure services imposes some limitations due to the different infrastructure. For instance, the Archiving service for Service Support tickets is not supported.

Using Microsoft SQL Server Express

Alloy products can use Microsoft SQL Server Express as a SQL backend for hosting the database. However, it's essential to be aware that the Express edition has certain technical limitations that could make it less suitable for large-scale deployments. If you're considering using SQL Server Express for a bigger project, we recommend checking the Microsoft SQL Server documentation, such as Microsoft SQL Server Books Online, or other online resources for more information on these limitations.

If you do not have a SQL backend for hosing the production database, you may want to get started with Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Express (Runtime Only), which is included with the Alloy Discovery Enterprise installation package.

INFO: For details on Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Express edition, see https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-editions-express.

Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 are being deprecated

In an effort to provide you with safe, secure, and high-quality products and services, Alloy Software is planning to drop the support for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 in upcoming releases of Alloy products. Microsoft stopped supporting SQL Server 2008 in 2019. For details, see End of support for SQL Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 R2.

If your organization is using Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2, or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express, we recommend considering migration to a more recent version of Microsoft SQL Server or Azure SQL.