Create a SQL Server Data Source

Add a SQL Server data source to NineData for Database DevOps, backup and restore, data replication, database comparison, and other supported features. This guide covers connection mode, credentials, environment settings, SSL settings, and the connection test.

Before you begin

• The server IP address of NineData has been added to the data source allowlist. The server IP address can be viewed by selecting the target region in Access Region on the Create Datasource page.

  

• Make sure you have available data source quota; otherwise, the data source cannot be added. You can check your remaining quota in the NineData Console header.

Procedure

1. Sign in to the NineData Console.

2. On the left navigation pane, click Datasource > Datasource.

3. Click Datasource tab, and click Create Datasource on the page. In the popup window for selecting the data source type, choose Database > (the type of data source to be added), and configure the parameters based on the table below on the Create Datasource page.
   tip

   If you make a mistake during the operation, you can click the icon at the top of the Create Datasource page to make a new selection.

4. Configure the data source parameters:

   Parameter	Description
   Name	Enter a data source name. Use a meaningful name to find and manage it later.
   Connection	Select how NineData connects to the data source. Supported methods are IP Address, Gateway, and SSH Tunnel. IP Address: Connect through the public network address. Gateway: Use a NineData gateway for private-network access. Connect the host that runs the data source first. For instructions, see Add Gateway. SSH Tunnel: Connect through an SSH tunnel. Select how NineData connects to the data source. Supported methods are IP Address and SSH Tunnel. IP Address: Connect through the public network address. SSH Tunnel: Connect through an SSH tunnel.
   Configuration items when Connection is IP Address	Host: The public network connection address and port of the data source.
   Configuration items when Connection is Gateway	Gateway: Select the NineData gateway installed on the host where the data source is located. Host: Enter localhost if the data source is on the same host as the gateway, or enter the internal IP address of the host where the data source is located.
   Configuration items when Connection is SSH Tunnel	SSH Host: Enter the public IP address or domain name and SSH port of the server where the target data source is located. The default SSH port is 22. SSH Authentication Method: Select the SSH authentication method. Password: Connect with SSH Username and Password. SSH Username: Enter the login username of the server where the target data source is located. Password: Enter the login password of the server where the target data source is located. Key (recommended): Connect with SSH Username and Key File. SSH Username: Enter the login username of the server where the target data source is located. Key File: Click Upload to upload the private key file, which is a key file without a suffix. If you have not created one yet, see Generate SSH Tunnel Key File. Password: Enter the password set when the key file was generated. If no password was set during key generation, leave this field blank. Note: After configuring SSH, click Connection Test to test the tunnel. Possible results: Connection Successfully: The SSH tunnel is established. Error message: The connection failed. Troubleshoot the cause based on the error message and try again. Host: Enter localhost if the data source is on the same host as the SSH server, or enter the internal IP address of the host where the data source is located.
   DB Account	The username of the data source.
   DB Password	The password of the data source.
   Access Region	Select the region closest to your data source location to effectively reduce network latency.
   Environment	Choose an environment based on the business purpose of the data source. This environment identifies the data source. The default environments are PROD and DEV. Custom environments are supported. For details, see create a custom environment. Note: Under organization mode, the database environment can also be applied to permission policy management. For example, the default Prod Admin role can access only data sources in the PROD environment and cannot access data sources in other environments. For more information, see Manage Roles.
   Encryption	Configure SSL encryption for access to the data source (default: on). If the data source requires SSL-encrypted connections, enable this option; otherwise, the connection fails. Use the switch to enable or disable encrypted transmission. Click the > to the left of Encryption to expand detailed configuration. Always trust the server certificate (default selected): Select this option to make the client always trust the server certificate, regardless of whether the certificate is issued by a trusted certificate authority. This simplifies the connection but increases the risk of malicious attacks. Verify Server Certificate (SSL CA): If the SQL Server instance uses a certificate issued by a self-signed CA, select this option and upload the root certificate of that CA. NineData verifies the uploaded certificate. If the certificate does not pass verification, the connection is rejected. Server Certificate Hostname: Enter the hostname or domain name associated with the certificate issued by the CA. NineData uses it to verify whether the hostname of the current connection matches the hostname in the certificate. If they do not match, the connection is rejected to help prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. Note: In most cases, keep all items at their default settings. For more information on SSL configuration, see the official documentation: Configure SQL Server encrypted connections.

5. After you configure all parameters, click Connection Test next to Create Datasource to test connectivity. When Connection Successfully is displayed, click Create Datasource to create the data source. Otherwise, review the connection settings and run the test again.

Result

After the connection test succeeds and the data source is created, it appears in the data source list and is available to NineData features that support SQL Server.

Appendix: Add NineData IP addresses to the SQL Server database whitelist

When you add a data source located in On-Premise/Other Cloud, add the NineData service IP address to the SQL Server database whitelist so NineData can access the database.

The following example uses SQL Server 2022.

1. Sign in to the host where the SQL Server service is located and open SQL Server Configuration Manager.

2. Select SQL Server Network Configuration and select the SQL Server instance you want to modify.

3. In the right window, double-click the TCP/IP protocol.

   tip

   Make sure that the TCP/IP protocol is enabled.

4. Click the IP Addresses tab and add the IP addresses allowed to access SQL Server. For example, to allow the host 192.168.1.2 to access SQL Server, enter 192.168.1.2 in the text box to the right of IP Addresses.

5. Click OK and restart the SQL Server instance.