Install SQL Server 2025 on Windows Server VPS: Requirements & Setup

In short

To install SQL Server 2025 on a Windows Server VPS, first confirm the server meets Microsoft's current SQL Server 2025 requirements: a supported x64 Windows version, at least a 1.4 GHz processor, at least 1 GB RAM for non-Express editions, at least 6 GB of available disk space for SQL Server itself, and .NET Framework 4.7.2. For a new server deployment, Windows Server 2025 or Windows Server 2022 are both supported choices.

Then choose the correct SQL Server edition, run the full Custom setup wizard, configure authentication and data paths, tune TempDB and max server memory, apply the latest SQL Server 2025 cumulative update, and open TCP 1433 only to trusted IPs or private networks.

Use Standard Developer for development and testing when you want the Standard feature set without production rights. Use paid Standard or Enterprise for production.

SQL Server 2025 requirements

Microsoft's current SQL Server 2025 hardware and software requirements are broader than a realistic production sizing recommendation. The table below separates the official minimums from what is more practical for a Windows VPS.

SQL Server 2025 is supported on Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2019. It is not supported on Windows Server 2016. Microsoft also supports SQL Server 2025 on supported Windows 10 and Windows 11 editions, but for a server workload this guide focuses on Windows Server.

Server Core is also supported on Windows Server 2025 Core, Windows Server 2022 Core, and Windows Server 2019 Core.

Minimum requirements are not production sizing

A server meeting Microsoft's minimum requirements can install SQL Server 2025, but that does not mean it is sized appropriately for a real database workload.

A better starting point is:

For SQL Server, RAM and storage behavior often matter as much as vCPU count. Plan for the database size, working set, TempDB activity, transaction logs, backup retention, and peak application concurrency.

Which edition should you install?

SQL Server 2025 introduced a clearer edition model. The most important decision is whether the server is for development, staging, testing, or production.

This guide uses Standard Developer because it is free and practical for development, staging, and install validation. The installation flow for paid Standard is almost identical; the difference is the product key and licensing step.

Do not run Developer edition in production. Developer editions are licensed for development and testing only.

What you will build

This guide installs a clean SQL Server 2025 instance on a Windows Server VPS.

The target setup:

Windows Server VPS
  ↓
SQL Server 2025
  ├── Database Engine
  ├── SQL Server Agent
  ├── TempDB
  ├── Data files
  ├── Log files
  ├── Backups
  └── Firewall / private access

For a small workload, the app and SQL Server can run on one VPS. As the workload grows, the cleaner production path is to split the application and database onto separate VMs connected over a private network.

What you'll need

Before starting, prepare:

• a Raff Windows Server VPS or similar Windows Server VPS;
• Windows Server 2022 or Windows Server 2025;
• local Administrator access;
• no pending Windows reboot;
• SQL Server 2025 installation media;
• SQL Server Management Studio on your workstation or on the server;
• a password manager for the sa password if you choose Mixed Mode;
• a backup plan before production data is added.

The official SQL Server 2025 minimums are listed above. For an actual VPS, use the workload-based sizing table rather than designing around the installation minimum.

Quick context: what changed in SQL Server 2025

Before you install, know the practical SQL Server 2025 changes that affect a Windows VPS deployment:

• SQL Server 2025 is version 17.x.
• SQL Server 2025 reached general availability as build 17.0.1000.7 on November 18, 2025.
• Standard edition now supports up to 32 cores and 256 GB buffer pool memory.
• Express edition now supports up to 50 GB per relational database.
• Web edition is discontinued.
• Express with Advanced Services is discontinued because base Express now includes those features.
• Standard Developer and Enterprise Developer are separate free developer editions.
• Resource Governor is available in Standard and Standard Developer.
• SQL Server 2025 adds AI-related features such as vector data type, vector functions, external AI model objects, and vector search.
• Some SQL Server 2025 features remain preview-only and should not be treated as production-ready until Microsoft marks them generally available.

The big takeaway:

SQL Server 2025 is a strong new baseline for new deployments, but production installs should still use only the features the workload actually needs.

If you are bringing forward a SQL Server 2019 or 2022 workload that depends on removed or changed features, validate the workload before upgrading.

Step 1 — Prepare the Windows Server VPS

Connect to the Windows Server VPS over RDP as Administrator.

Before running setup:

1. Install pending Windows updates.
2. Reboot the server.
3. Confirm you can reconnect over RDP.
4. Confirm the system drive has enough free space.
5. Create a clean SQL folder structure.

Run PowerShell as Administrator:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\SQL\Data" -Force
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\SQL\Logs" -Force
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\SQL\Backups" -Force
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path "C:\SQL\TempDB" -Force

This keeps user databases, transaction logs, backups, and TempDB easier to manage than leaving everything under C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\.

If you later use separate disks or volumes, keep the same idea with dedicated paths such as D:\SQL\Data, L:\SQL\Logs, and T:\SQL\TempDB.

Step 2 — Get SQL Server 2025 media onto the server

You have three practical options.

Option 1 — Use winget to get the installer media

winget is built into Windows Server 2025 and can locate SQL Server packages.

# See available SQL Server packages
winget search --id "Microsoft.SQLServer"

# Install SQL Server 2025 Developer media
winget install --id Microsoft.SQLServer.2025.Developer

Important: if winget launches a one-click Basic installation, do not use that as the final production-style install. Basic setup can skip important choices such as TempDB, data paths, authentication, SQL Server Agent startup, and feature selection.

For this guide, use the full Custom setup wizard from the extracted media.

If the media is extracted to C:\SQL2025\StdDev_ENU\, launch:

Start-Process -FilePath "C:\SQL2025\StdDev_ENU\setup.exe" -Verb RunAs

Option 2 — Download media from Microsoft

Download SQL Server 2025 from Microsoft’s SQL Server download page and choose Download Media.

Use Download Media instead of Basic install so you can run the full setup wizard and control:

• edition;
• feature selection;
• authentication;
• service startup;
• data directories;
• TempDB;
• MaxDOP;
• memory;
• firewall planning.

Option 3 — Use Evaluation Center

Use Evaluation Edition when you need to test Enterprise features for a limited time.

This is useful for:

• Enterprise feature testing;
• upgrade validation;
• proof-of-concept work;
• temporary HA/DR lab work.

Do not treat Evaluation Edition as a permanent production install.

Do not run SQL Server setup from an ISO mounted through your local RDP client drive. Put the media on the Windows Server VPS itself or on a real network share reachable by the server.

Step 3 — Run the install wizard

From PowerShell on the Windows Server VPS, launch setup as Administrator:

Start-Process -FilePath "C:\SQL2025\StdDev_ENU\setup.exe" -Verb RunAs

The SQL Server Installation Center opens.

Click:

Installation
  → New SQL Server standalone installation or add features to an existing installation

SQL Server Setup then walks through the installation screens. Most are straightforward. The sections below cover the decisions that matter on a Windows VPS.

Edition

For this guide, select:

Specify a free edition
  → Standard Developer

For production, choose:

Enter the product key
  → Paid Standard or Enterprise key

For a temporary Enterprise evaluation, choose Evaluation.

Click Next.

License terms, setup rules, Microsoft Update, and product updates

Accept the license terms.

If Microsoft Update is offered, enable it so Windows can check for Microsoft product updates.

If the setup rule check reports a pending restart, cancel setup, reboot the server, reconnect, and run setup again.

Do not ignore pending restart warnings. SQL Server setup is sensitive to restarts pending from Windows Update, uninstallers, drivers, and previous software installs.

Install Rules — the Windows Firewall warning is expected

A Windows Firewall warning is normal.

Do not disable Windows Firewall.

Continue the install and configure firewall rules intentionally after setup.

Correct model:

Install SQL Server.
Decide who needs remote access.
Open only the required port.
Restrict by source IP or private network.

Azure Extension for SQL Server — skip unless you need Azure Arc

SQL Server setup may offer Azure Extension or Azure Arc registration.

For a self-managed Windows VPS, leave this unchecked unless you specifically need:

• Azure Arc management;
• pay-as-you-go SQL billing through Azure;
• Microsoft Entra integration through Arc;
• Azure-connected SQL management features;
• Azure-managed backup or compliance tooling.

Most standalone Raff Windows VPS SQL Server installs do not need Azure Arc during initial setup.

You can register later if a real requirement appears.

Feature Selection — install only what you need

For most Windows VPS deployments, start with a small feature set.

Recommended baseline:

• Database Engine Services — required for SQL Server databases;
• SQL Server Replication — useful if the workload may need replication later;
• Full-Text and Semantic Extractions for Search — useful for many line-of-business applications.

Leave optional features unchecked unless you know you need them:

• AI Services and Language Extensions;
• PolyBase Query Service for External Data;
• Analysis Services;
• Integration Services;
• Scale Out Worker.

A smaller install is easier to secure, patch, monitor, and troubleshoot.

Add optional components later only when the requirement becomes real.

Instance Configuration — use the default instance

Select:

Default instance: MSSQLSERVER

A default instance is easier for applications and administrators because connections can use:

server-name-or-ip

Use a named instance only when:

• multiple SQL Server instances run on one VM;
• you need side-by-side SQL versions;
• a vendor app requires a specific instance name;
• your architecture intentionally separates tenants or apps by instance.

For a clean single-purpose VPS, the default instance is usually better.

Server Configuration — change SQL Server Agent and enable instant file initialization

Make two changes:

1. Set SQL Server Agent startup type to Automatic.
2. Tick Grant Perform Volume Maintenance Tasks privilege to SQL Server Database Engine Service.

SQL Server Agent should be automatic if you will use scheduled jobs, maintenance plans, alerts, database backups, or recurring tasks.

The Perform Volume Maintenance Tasks privilege enables instant file initialization for data files. This can make data file creation and growth much faster.

Leave service accounts at the defaults unless your environment requires domain service accounts.

Leave SQL Server Browser disabled for a default instance.

On the Collation tab, keep the default unless your app vendor requires a specific collation. Changing collation later can be painful.

Database Engine Configuration — authentication

For a standalone, non-domain-joined Windows VPS, Mixed Mode is often the practical choice.

Mixed Mode = SQL Server authentication + Windows authentication

Mixed Mode is common when:

• the server is not joined to Active Directory;
• applications need SQL logins;
• connection strings use SQL username and password;
• users or apps connect from outside a Windows domain.

If you use Mixed Mode:

• set a long, strong sa password;
• store it in a password manager immediately;
• click Add Current User so the current Windows Administrator becomes a SQL Server admin;
• create dedicated app logins later;
• do not use sa as the normal application login.

For domain-joined environments, Windows Authentication may be enough.

Data Directories tab

Use the folder structure created earlier.

Leave system database paths at the default unless you have a specific design reason to move them.

On a single-volume VPS, this structure does not create separate physical storage. The benefit is operational clarity: data files, log files, and backups are no longer mixed into the SQL Server program directory.

TempDB tab — the most important performance screen

TempDB matters for sorts, temp tables, version store activity, reports, and many application workloads.

A practical starting point:

Use this rule for most small and mid-sized VPS installs:

TempDB data files = number of vCPUs, capped at 8.

Keep all TempDB data files equal size and use fixed MB growth instead of percentage growth.

Recommended path:

C:\SQL\TempDB

Do not leave TempDB ignored. Poor TempDB defaults can become painful when multiple users, reports, temp tables, or scheduled jobs run at the same time.

MaxDOP tab — use the installer recommendation as the starting point

The SQL Server setup wizard usually proposes a good starting MaxDOP based on logical CPU count.

Practical starting values:

Avoid setting MaxDOP to 0 on small VMs unless you have tested the workload.

A MaxDOP of 0 allows a query to use all available schedulers, which can hurt concurrency on smaller VPS plans.

Memory and FILESTREAM tabs

Leave the Memory tab at setup defaults for now.

After installation, set max server memory with T-SQL so you can choose a value based on the VM size and what else runs on the server.

Leave FILESTREAM disabled unless your application specifically requires FILESTREAM.

Ready to Install

Before clicking Install, review:

• edition;
• selected features;
• default instance;
• SQL Server Agent startup type;
• data directory;
• log directory;
• backup directory;
• TempDB file count;
• TempDB file size;
• TempDB growth;
• MaxDOP;
• SQL admins;
• authentication mode.

SQL Setup also writes a configuration file. Save the path if you want to reproduce the same installation later.

Do not publish the configuration file publicly if it contains sensitive paths, usernames, or product-key-related information.

Click Install.

Expect setup to take 15–30 minutes depending on VM size and selected features.

Complete

When setup finishes, every selected feature should show Succeeded.

If a feature fails:

1. Open the setup log folder shown on the Complete screen.
2. Review the summary log.
3. Fix the root cause.
4. Reboot if required.
5. Re-run setup only after the failure is understood.

Do not ignore partial installation failures.

Step 4 — Cap SQL Server memory

SQL Server will try to use available memory aggressively. That is normal, but a Windows Server VPS also needs RAM for:

• Windows Server;
• RDP sessions;
• antivirus or EDR;
• backup software;
• monitoring agents;
• application services;
• file cache;
• SSMS if installed locally.

Set max server memory after installation.

Example for an 8 GB RAM VPS:

EXEC sys.sp_configure 'show advanced options', 1;
RECONFIGURE;
EXEC sys.sp_configure 'max server memory (MB)', 6144;
RECONFIGURE;

EXEC sys.sp_configure 'max server memory (MB)';

Example starting points:

These are starting points.

Tune based on actual workload, monitoring, and what else runs on the server.

Do not leave max server memory at the effective unlimited default on production-style installs.

Step 5 — Apply the latest SQL Server cumulative update

After the base install, apply the latest SQL Server 2025 cumulative update available from Microsoft.

Use this rule:

Install the latest available SQL Server 2025 cumulative update before production use.

Do not hardcode only one CU number in the article unless you will keep it updated every time Microsoft ships a newer CU.

After installing the update, reboot if prompted.

Verify the build:

SELECT @@VERSION;

Also check edition and product level:

SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('ProductVersion') AS ProductVersion,
       SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel') AS ProductLevel,
       SERVERPROPERTY('ProductUpdateLevel') AS ProductUpdateLevel,
       SERVERPROPERTY('Edition') AS Edition;

Record the version in your change log.

Step 6 — Install SQL Server Management Studio

SQL Server Management Studio is the management GUI.

Best practice:

• install SSMS on your workstation if you will manage the server remotely;
• install SSMS on the server only if local GUI administration is useful;
• keep SSMS updated separately from the SQL Server engine.

After installing SSMS, connect to:

localhost

when working on the server, or:

SERVER_PUBLIC_IP_OR_PRIVATE_IP

from a trusted remote machine.

For Mixed Mode testing, use a SQL login.

Do not use the sa login as the normal application login.

Step 7 — Configure TCP/IP only if remote SQL access is needed

If applications connect only from the same VPS, you may not need to expose SQL Server over the network.

If remote applications or admin workstations need SQL access, enable TCP/IP carefully.

Open SQL Server Configuration Manager:

SQL Server Network Configuration
  → Protocols for MSSQLSERVER
  → TCP/IP
  → Enabled

Set a static TCP port, usually:

1433

Restart the SQL Server service after changing network protocol settings.

For a named instance, choose a deliberate port and document it.

Avoid relying on dynamic ports for production application connections unless your environment is designed around that.

Step 8 — Open the Windows Firewall only to trusted sources

By default, SQL Server may listen on TCP 1433, but Windows Firewall can still block inbound remote access.

Do not open SQL Server to the entire internet.

If remote SQL access is required, restrict it by source IP or private network.

Example PowerShell rule allowing one trusted office IP:

New-NetFirewallRule `
  -DisplayName "SQL Server 2025 TCP 1433 - Office IP" `
  -Direction Inbound `
  -Protocol TCP `
  -LocalPort 1433 `
  -RemoteAddress "203.0.113.10" `
  -Action Allow

Replace 203.0.113.10 with your real office IP, VPN gateway IP, private network range, or trusted admin IP.

Avoid this rule:

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "SQL Server" `
  -Direction Inbound `
  -Protocol TCP `
  -LocalPort 1433 `
  -Action Allow

That opens SQL Server to any source.

Better access patterns:

• same-server connections;
• private networking between app and database VMs;
• VPN;
• IP allowlist;
• RD Gateway or admin jump host;
• no public SQL port when avoidable.

Never leave TCP 1433 open to 0.0.0.0/0.

Step 9 — Create a test database

After installation and update, create a small test database.

CREATE DATABASE RaffSqlTest;
GO

USE RaffSqlTest;
GO

CREATE TABLE dbo.HealthCheck
(
    Id int IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
    CreatedAt datetime2 NOT NULL DEFAULT sysdatetime(),
    Message nvarchar(200) NOT NULL
);
GO

INSERT INTO dbo.HealthCheck (Message)
VALUES (N'SQL Server 2025 is working.');
GO

SELECT * FROM dbo.HealthCheck;
GO

Verify the database files were created in the expected path.

SELECT name, physical_name
FROM sys.master_files
WHERE database_id = DB_ID('RaffSqlTest');

You should see data and log files under the configured SQL folders.

Step 10 — Create a safer application login

Do not give applications the sa password.

Create a dedicated login and database user.

Example:

CREATE LOGIN app_user WITH PASSWORD = 'Use-A-Strong-Unique-Password-Here!';
GO

USE RaffSqlTest;
GO

CREATE USER app_user FOR LOGIN app_user;
GO

ALTER ROLE db_datareader ADD MEMBER app_user;
ALTER ROLE db_datawriter ADD MEMBER app_user;
GO

For real production applications, grant only the permissions the app needs.

Do not make application logins sysadmin.

Step 11 — Set a first backup

Before production use, take a test backup.

BACKUP DATABASE RaffSqlTest
TO DISK = 'C:\SQL\Backups\RaffSqlTest_full.bak'
WITH INIT, COMPRESSION, CHECKSUM, STATS = 10;
GO

Verify the backup:

RESTORE VERIFYONLY
FROM DISK = 'C:\SQL\Backups\RaffSqlTest_full.bak'
WITH CHECKSUM;
GO

For production, plan:

• full backups;
• differential backups when useful;
• transaction log backups if using full recovery model;
• backup retention;
• off-server storage;
• restore testing;
• monitoring failed jobs.

A backup strategy is not complete until restore is tested.

Step 12 — Verify the final install

Run these checks before calling the installation complete.

Quick smoke test

From the Windows Server VPS:

Get-Service -Name MSSQLSERVER, SQLSERVERAGENT |
  Format-Table Name, Status, StartType

Then run:

SELECT @@VERSION AS Version,
       SERVERPROPERTY('Edition') AS Edition,
       SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel') AS ProductLevel,
       SERVERPROPERTY('ProductUpdateLevel') AS ProductUpdateLevel;

Expected:

• MSSQLSERVER running;
• SQLSERVERAGENT running if you set it to Automatic;
• edition matches what you installed;
• product update level reflects your installed CU.

Comprehensive post-install verification

This PowerShell script checks the settings configured during installation.

Write-Host "`n=== 1. Services ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Get-Service -Name MSSQLSERVER, SQLSERVERAGENT |
    Format-Table Name, Status, StartType -AutoSize

Write-Host "=== 2. TCP 1433 Listening ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
$tcpTest = Test-NetConnection -ComputerName localhost -Port 1433 -InformationLevel Quiet
Write-Host "TCP 1433 open on localhost: $tcpTest"

Write-Host "`n=== 3. Firewall Rule ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "SQL Server*" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
    Format-Table DisplayName, Enabled, Action, Direction -AutoSize

Write-Host "=== 4. Version, Edition, Auth Mode ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance "localhost" -Query @"
SELECT
    SERVERPROPERTY('ProductVersion') AS Version,
    SERVERPROPERTY('Edition')        AS Edition,
    SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel')   AS PatchLevel,
    SERVERPROPERTY('ProductUpdateLevel') AS CULevel,
    CASE SERVERPROPERTY('IsIntegratedSecurityOnly')
        WHEN 0 THEN 'Mixed Mode'
        WHEN 1 THEN 'Windows Only'
    END AS AuthMode,
    SERVERPROPERTY('InstanceDefaultDataPath')   AS DataPath,
    SERVERPROPERTY('InstanceDefaultLogPath')    AS LogPath,
    SERVERPROPERTY('InstanceDefaultBackupPath') AS BackupPath
"@ | Format-List

Write-Host "=== 5. Instance Configuration ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance "localhost" -Query @"
SELECT name, value_in_use
FROM sys.configurations
WHERE name IN (
    'max server memory (MB)',
    'min server memory (MB)',
    'max degree of parallelism',
    'cost threshold for parallelism'
)
ORDER BY name
"@ | Format-Table -AutoSize

Write-Host "=== 6. TempDB Files ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance "localhost" -Query @"
SELECT
    name,
    physical_name,
    size * 8 / 1024 AS SizeMB,
    CASE is_percent_growth
        WHEN 0 THEN CAST(growth * 8 / 1024 AS VARCHAR) + ' MB'
        WHEN 1 THEN CAST(growth AS VARCHAR) + ' %'
    END AS Growth
FROM tempdb.sys.database_files
ORDER BY type, name
"@ | Format-Table -AutoSize

Write-Host "=== 7. Recent SQL Server error log entries ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Invoke-Sqlcmd -ServerInstance "localhost" -Query @"
EXEC sp_readerrorlog 0, 1
"@ -QueryTimeout 5 2>$null | Select-Object -Last 10 | Format-Table -AutoSize

What to check

If any value does not match, return to the section that controls that setting.

Most settings can be corrected post-install, but it is better to detect mismatches before production data is added.

Common mistakes

1. Pending Windows restart blocks setup

The installer's Global Rules check can fail when Windows has a pending restart.

Fix: reboot before starting SQL Server setup.

2. Accepting a Basic install as production-ready

Basic install is fast, but it skips important decisions.

Use Custom setup for serious installs so you can configure:

• edition;
• features;
• authentication;
• data paths;
• TempDB;
• MaxDOP;
• SQL Server Agent;
• firewall planning.

3. Running setup from an ISO mounted through the RDP client

SQL Server setup should run from media on the server itself or from a proper network share.

Do not drag the ISO over an RDP redirected drive and run setup from there.

4. Leaving TempDB at weak defaults

TempDB should use multiple equal-sized data files and fixed MB growth.

A good starting point is one TempDB data file per vCPU, capped at eight files for most small and mid-sized VPS installs.

5. Leaving max server memory effectively unlimited

SQL Server can consume most available RAM.

Cap max server memory so Windows and other services do not starve.

6. Setting MaxDOP to 0 on a small VM

MaxDOP 0 allows a query to use all available schedulers.

On small VMs, this can hurt concurrency under load.

Use the installer recommendation as a starting point.

7. Losing the sa password

If you choose Mixed Mode, store the sa password in a password manager immediately.

Do not use sa as the application login.

8. Installing SQL Server on a domain controller

Avoid installing SQL Server on a domain controller.

Use a dedicated Windows Server VPS for SQL Server whenever possible.

9. Forgetting the firewall

The install can succeed and local connections can work while remote access still times out.

Only open SQL Server access if remote clients need it.

10. Opening TCP 1433 to the internet

Restrict by IP, VPN, private network, or trusted admin access.

Do not expose SQL Server publicly to the entire internet.

11. Installing unnecessary SQL features

Every extra feature adds complexity.

Install what the workload needs, then add optional features later if the requirement becomes real.

When to step up to paid Standard or Enterprise

Standard Developer is licensed for development, testing, and demonstration only.

For production, choose the edition that matches the workload.

Use Express when:

• the database is small;
• workload is light;
• SQL Server Agent is not required;
• 50 GB per database is enough;
• resource limits are acceptable.

Use Standard for most production workloads:

• SMB applications;
• ERP databases;
• internal tools;
• IIS / ASP.NET application databases;
• moderate reporting;
• line-of-business applications.

Use Enterprise when you need:

• larger scale;
• Enterprise-only features;
• more advanced availability;
• larger memory or compute requirements;
• licensing that justifies the cost.

Use Evaluation only for temporary testing.

Raff does not resell SQL Server licenses. Bring your own license through your Microsoft licensing partner, CSP, EA, Software Assurance, or MSP.

Recommended setup by workload

How Raff fits SQL Server hosting

Raff Windows VM is a practical foundation for SQL Server workloads that need a self-managed Windows Server environment.

A Raff SQL Server deployment can support:

• SQL Server 2025 development and staging;
• paid SQL Server Standard production installs;
• ERP databases;
• internal business apps;
• IIS / ASP.NET applications;
• reporting workloads;
• RDP-based admin access;
• backups and snapshots;
• private networking between app and database VMs.

A simple starting architecture:

Windows VM
  ├── SQL Server 2025
  ├── SQL Server Agent
  ├── Backups
  └── Monitoring

A stronger production architecture:

App VM
  ↓
Private network
  ↓
SQL Server VM
  ↓
Backups / snapshots / monitoring

Start simple when the workload is small.

Split the database from the application server when performance, security, or operational needs justify it.

Tested on Raff

Tested on: SQL Server 2025 Standard Developer Edition installed on a Raff Windows Server 2025 VPS — 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM / 120 GB NVMe, Windows Server 2025 Standard build 26100, us-east datacenter — on April 24, 2026, by Serdar Tekin.

The original test verified: media acquisition, Custom setup wizard, Azure Extension unticked, Mixed Mode authentication, TempDB configured as 4 files × 512 MB at C:\SQL\TempDB, MaxDOP set to 4, C:\SQL\Data / C:\SQL\Logs / C:\SQL\Backups directory structure, SQL Server Agent set to Automatic, Perform Volume Maintenance Tasks privilege granted, firewall rule for TCP 1433, local and remote connectivity, and SELECT @@VERSION.

What's next

• Connect to your Raff Windows Server via RDP
• Windows Server 2019 vs 2022 vs 2025: Which Version to Choose
• ERP on Windows VPS: Hosting, Sizing, and Migration
• RDS CAL Licensing on Windows Server
• Raff Windows VM
• SQL Server backup strategy on Windows VPS
• MSSQL memory tuning for production workloads

Sources

• Microsoft Learn — SQL Server 2025 hardware and software requirements
• Microsoft Learn — SQL Server and Windows compatibility matrix
• Microsoft Learn — SQL Server 2025 release notes
• Microsoft Learn — Editions and supported features of SQL Server 2025
• Microsoft Learn — Install SQL Server from the Installation Wizard
• Microsoft Learn — Configure Windows Firewall for SQL Server access
• Microsoft Learn — tempdb database
• Microsoft Learn — Server memory configuration options
• Microsoft Learn — Configure the max degree of parallelism option
• Microsoft Learn — Install SQL Server Management Studio
• Microsoft — SQL Server Downloads
• Sources verified: 2026-09-09

Microsoft, Windows Server, SQL Server, and SQL Server Management Studio are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Raff Technologies is an independent infrastructure provider and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Microsoft Corporation.