[!INCLUDE SQL Server -Windows Only]

The article lists the minimum hardware and software requirements to install and run SQL Server 2016 and SQL Server 2017 on the Windows operating system.

For hardware and software requirements for other versions of SQL Server, see:

• SQL Server 2022
• SQL Server 2019
• SQL Server on Linux

The following hardware requirements apply to SQL Server 2016 and SQL Server 2017:

* The minimum memory required for installing the [!INCLUDEssDQSServer] component in [!INCLUDEssDQSnoversion] (DQS) is 2 GB of RAM, which is different from the [!INCLUDEssCurrent] minimum memory requirement. For information about installing DQS, see Install Data Quality Services.

The table in this section lists the minimum software requirements for running SQL Server. There are also recommended configuration options for optimal performance.

The following software requirements apply to all installations:

[!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Setup installs the following software components required by the product:

• [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Native Client
• [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Setup support files

The following table shows which editions of SQL Server 2017 are compatible with which versions of Windows:

The following editions of Windows server support installing SQL Server 2017 on Server Core mode:

:::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2022 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2022 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure edition :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2019 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2019 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2016 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2016 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::row-end:::

For more information on installing SQL Server on Server Core, see Install SQL Server on Server Core.

The following table shows which editions of SQL Server 2016 are compatible with which versions of Windows:

For minimum version requirements to install [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] on [!INCLUDEwinserver2012] or [!INCLUDEwin8], see Installing SQL Server on Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.

The following editions of Windows server support installing SQL Server 2016 on Server Core mode:

:::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2019 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2019 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2016 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2016 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 Standard :::column-end::: :::column::: Windows Server 2012 Datacenter :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::column::: :::column-end::: :::row-end:::

For more information on installing SQL Server on Server Core, see Install SQL Server on Server Core.

WOW64 (Windows 32-bit on Windows 64-bit) is a feature of 64-bit editions of Windows that enables 32-bit applications to run natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode, even though the underlying operating system is a 64-bit operating system. WOW64 is not supported for [!INCLUDEssCurrent] installations. However, Management Tools are supported in WOW64.

Windows client operating systems, for example Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 are available as 32-bit or 64-bit architectures. All SQL Server features are supported on 64-bit client operating systems. On supported 32-bit client operating systems Microsoft supports the following features:

• Data Quality Client
• Client Tools Connectivity
• Integration Services
• Client Tools Backwards Compatibility
• Client Tools SDK
• Documentation Components
• Distributed Replay Components
• Distributed Replay Controller
• Distributed Replay Client
• SQL Client Connectivity SDK

[!INCLUDEwinserver2008r2] and later server operating systems are not available as 32-bit architectures. All supported server operating systems are only available as 64-bit. All features are supported on 64-bit server operating systems.

For more information about cross-language support and considerations for installing [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] in localized languages, see Local Language Versions in SQL Server.

During installation of [!INCLUDEssCurrent], Windows Installer creates temporary files on the system drive. Before you run Setup to install or upgrade [!INCLUDEssNoVersion], verify that you have at least 6.0 GB of available disk space on the system drive for these files. This requirement applies even if you install [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] components to a non-default drive.

Actual hard disk space requirements depend on your system configuration and the features that you decide to install. The following table provides disk space requirements for [!INCLUDEssCurrent] components.

*The disk space requirement for downloaded Books Online content is 200 MB.

The supported storage types for data files are:

• Local Disk
  • [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] currently supports disk drives that have standard native sector sizes of 512 bytes and 4 KB. Hard disks with sector sizes larger than 4 KB may cause errors when attempting to store [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] data files on them. See Hard disk drive sector-size support boundaries in SQL Server for more information on hard disk sector-size support in [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. For more information, see Troubleshoot errors related to system disk sector size greater than 4 KB.
  • [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] failover cluster installation supports Local Disk only for installing the tempdb files. Ensure that the path specified for the tempdb data and log files is valid on all the cluster nodes. During failover, if the tempdb directories are not available on the failover target node, the [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] resource fails to come online.
• Shared Storage
• Storage Spaces Direct (S2D)
• SMB File Share
  • SMB storage is not supported for [!INCLUDEssASnoversion] data files for either standalone or clustered installations. Use direct attached storage, a storage area network, or S2D instead.
  • SMB storage can be hosted by a Windows File Server or a third-party SMB storage device. If Windows File Server is used, the Windows File Server version should be 2008 or later. For more information about installing [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] using SMB file share as a storage option, see Install SQL Server with SMB Fileshare as a Storage Option.

For security reasons, we recommend that you do not install [!INCLUDEssCurrent] on a domain controller. [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Setup doesn't block installation on a computer that is a domain controller, but the following limitations apply:

• You cannot run [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] services on a domain controller under a local service account.

• After [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is installed on a computer, you cannot change the computer from a domain member to a domain controller. You must uninstall [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] before you change the host computer to a domain controller.

• After [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is installed on a computer, you cannot change the computer from a domain controller to a domain member. You must uninstall [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] before you change the host computer to a domain member.

• [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] failover cluster instances are not supported where cluster nodes are domain controllers.

• [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] is not supported on a read-only domain controller. [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Setup cannot create security groups or provision [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] service accounts on a read-only domain controller. In this scenario, Setup fails.

  [!NOTE] This restriction also applies to installations on domain member nodes.

• A [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] failover cluster instance is not supported in an environment where only a read-only domain controller is accessible.

  [!NOTE] This restriction also applies to installations on domain member nodes.

You can get relevant installation media from the following locations:

• SQL Server evaluation center
• Most recent cumulative updates

Alternatively, you can create an Azure virtual machine already running SQL Server.

Once you've reviewed the hardware and software requirements for installing SQL Server, you can start to Plan a SQL Server Installation or review the Security considerations for SQL Server.