Connect Metabase from Linux to Sqlserver Running in Windows (0.27 or 0.28 versions)

Hi there folks, I'm new in this forum. I have been testing Metabase with mysql and found it's a great application, but I can't manage to connect to Sqlserver.

Is there any guide or steps to connect to SQLServer installed in a Windows Domain from Metabase executed in Linux? I have read several posts about the problems with the JDBC driver, for instance:

But I can't find clear steps for configuring this. My doubts are:

1- ¿Do we need to configure anything in the SQLServer instance or Windows Server?
2- ¿Do we need to install the kerberos packages in linux? I mean this ones:

Ubuntu

sudo apt-get install realmd krb5-user software-properties-common python-software-properties packagekit

As described here:

Note : My sqlserver is not running in linux, is in windows.

For me it's not clear the main idea of this configuration, I mean, are this the steps?

1- Configure kerberos and DNS in the linux machine
2- Create a krb.conf in /etc???
3- Run the jar file with parameters to load the krb, or a conf file mencioned in these other posts

Is this the idea?

Anyone have a more step by step guide to connect to a Sqlserver running in Windows? I think this a a very common scenario...

Kind Regards,

Rubén

Hi @ruben, welcome!

Glad to see the amount of homework you did. A good example to be followed! Looks like a very nice summary of the current (Feb 2018) status of SQL Server support, and problems people ran into - in particular if Windows Authentication is needed.

Anyways I'm a bit pressed for time righ now - so will try to answer direct questions quick and then maybe get back later if needed:

It depends on if you are:

  • a) happy to live with an SQL user defined locally on the SQL server:
    it’s yes 1- SQL server user setup is needed (unless you already have one) 2- No kerberos setup shouldn’t be needed

  • b) or want/need it to work with a Windows domain user account
    1- I'm in doubt myself. Didn't get to the bottom of it in the Connect to SQL Server via Windows Authentication thread you linked to above. 2- yes kerberos in your linux client with Metabase server is needed

Hope that gives you the options to choose from.

Yes that's the rough steps if you want/need Windows Authentication.

Agree - better guidance/simpler setup is needed. But if anyone came up with a more clear guide I'm not aware of it. Last effort I was involved in with Windows Auth you already linked here, it's just that it ended without Connect to SQL Server via Windows Authentication - #19 by Bungle - but only a local SQL Server user "bailout", which is understandable if it suited the bill.

Hope this helps!

Hi there jornh!

Thanks you very much! For us it was right to use sql user auth instead of windows auth, so with sqlserver user sa I’ve been able to solve the problem!

No need to configure kerberos then!

Yes a guidance in the metabase site would be helpful, I’ve been trying things many time and after all it was pretty simple to configure just with sql auth. So it would be great for the people to know thast if they require windows auth they will need the kerberos thing!

Thanks!

1 Like

One little addition - if you’re not using the default instance on SQL Server, you’ll need to specify the port to use. Ideally, change the port used on the SQL instance to a fixed port, then use that in the database setting in Metabase.
While SQL uses 1433 by default, this is only for the default instance. Any additional instances use a dynamic port.

On the bright side, I use SQL Server a lot and I’ve never come across an installation that only uses Windows security, so shouldn’t be forced down the painful Kerberos route.

2 Likes

I’ve also never faced a SQL Server installation which only uses Windows security. But I believe that MS Axapta users may choose that route.
Thank you for the port info by the way. Yesterday my demonstration failed for this port settings. Now I understood my problem.