SQL Server
An MSSQL resource provisions Microsoft SQL Server Express with persistent storage inside your pod. Applications connect through the pod network; local database clients can connect through a temporary Brainpod database tunnel.
Configuration
| Field | Supported values | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name | 1–63 characters | Unique resource name in the default namespace |
| Version | 2022, 2025 |
Immutable after creation |
| Edition | express |
Immutable after creation |
| Instance | 2x, 4x, 8x |
SQL Server requires at least the 2x instance size |
| Disk | Disk resource reference | Stores the database data |
The console requires acceptance of the Microsoft SQL Server licence terms during creation. SQL Server Express does not include Brainpod-managed backups; establish a separate backup process for data that must be recoverable.
Exported variables
Replace name with the MSSQL resource name:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
${name.host} |
Cluster-internal hostname |
${name.port} |
SQL Server port (1433) |
${name.user} |
Database user (brainpod) |
${name.database} |
Database name (brainpod) |
${name.password} |
Generated password, injected as a secret |
${name.uri} |
Full SQL Server connection string, including the password |
Configure an App environment variable with a reference rather than copying credentials:
DATABASE_URL=${db.uri}
The connection string uses the sqlserver:// scheme with encryption enabled.
Use the CLI
Inspect the live MSSQL schema before preparing the resource document:
brainpod describe resource mssql --json
MSSQL may appear in the API schema before every resource-kind argument is available in the installed CLI. Use brainpod describe resource --json to verify the current command contract.
Connect from your computer
Open a temporary local tunnel to a deployed SQL Server resource:
brainpod --pod my-pod tunnel db 127.0.0.1:11433
Use the host, port, username, password, and database printed by the CLI in SQL Server Management Studio, DBeaver, or another compatible client. See Database tunnels for permissions and session behavior.
Operational limits
SQL Server Express applies edition-specific database, compute, and memory limits. Brainpod restricts disk size according to the selected version:
- SQL Server 2022 Express: database size up to 10 GB and disk size up to 20 GB
- SQL Server 2025 Express: database size up to 50 GB and disk size up to 60 GB
Changing the instance size does not change the SQL Server Express edition limits.
Next steps
- Disks: Configure persistent storage
- Apps: Reference database variables from an application
- Database tunnels: Connect a local database client
- API keys: Grant
database:connect