---
layout: "docs"
page_title: "MSSQL Database Plugin - Database Secret Backend"
sidebar_current: "docs-secrets-databases-mssql"
description: |-
  The MSSQL plugin for Vault's Database backend generates database credentials to access Microsoft SQL Server.
---

# MSSQL Database Plugin

Name: `mssql-database-plugin`

The MSSQL Database Plugin is one of the supported plugins for the Database
backend. This plugin generates database credentials dynamically based on
configured roles for the MSSQL database.

See the [Database Backend](/docs/secrets/databases/index.html) docs for more
information about setting up the Database Backend.

## Quick Start

After the Database Backend is mounted you can configure a MSSQL connection
by specifying this plugin as the `"plugin_name"` argument. Here is an example
configuration:

```
$ vault write database/config/mssql \
    plugin_name=mssql-database-plugin \
    connection_url='server=localhost;port=1433;user id=sa;password=Password!;database=AdventureWorks;app name=vault;' \
    allowed_roles="readonly"

The following warnings were returned from the Vault server:
* Read access to this endpoint should be controlled via ACLs as it will return the connection details as is, including passwords, if any.
```

In this case, we've configured Vault with the user "sa" and password "Password!",
connecting to an instance at "localhost" on port 1433. It is not necessary
that Vault has the sa login, but the user must have privileges to create
logins and manage processes. The fixed server roles `securityadmin` and
`processadmin` are examples of built-in roles that grant these permissions. The
user also must have privileges to create database users and grant permissions in
the databases that Vault manages.  The fixed database roles `db_accessadmin` and
`db_securityadmin` are examples or built-in roles that grant these permissions.


Once the MSSQL connection is configured we can add a role:

```
$ vault write database/roles/readonly \
    db_name=mssql \
    creation_statements="CREATE LOGIN [{{name}}] WITH PASSWORD = '{{password}}';\
        CREATE USER [{{name}}] FOR LOGIN [{{name}}];\
        GRANT SELECT ON SCHEMA::dbo TO [{{name}}];" \
    default_ttl="1h" \
    max_ttl="24h"

Success! Data written to: database/roles/readonly
```

This role can now be used to retrieve a new set of credentials by querying the
"database/creds/readonly" endpoint.

## API

The full list of configurable options can be seen in the [MSSQL database
plugin API](/api/secret/databases/mssql.html) page.

For more information on the Database secret backend's HTTP API please see the [Database secret
backend API](/api/secret/databases/index.html) page.