Previously I had tried to get a Docker Windows container running SQL Server 2017 with no success. So when I saw that Microsoft had a new image, I thought I should try again.

New Windows container images of SQL Server 2017 on Windows Server 1709

This includes support for the following OS's:

Windows Server Core version 1709

Windows 10 version 1709

https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/sqlserverstorageengine/2018/02/11/new-windows-container-images-of-sql-server-2017-on-windows-server-1709/

As I am running Windows 10 Pro, I checked the version (using winver from the command prompt) and it was 1709.

I then downloaded the latest Docker for Windows Installer and installed Docker.

After this I tested Docker by running Docker version and then running hello-world, both of which worked. So Docker was working. I then tried to change to a Windows container and it gave an error. Being old school, I restarted my machine and then I could switch to a Windows container. Then we pulled the 1709 SQL Server developer image and it completed and then a Docker run to install that image and it all worked.

Now we needed to test it. I used ipconfig/all to get the IP address of the Docker NAT.

To connect to Docker Windows SQL Server 2017 container, I first of all upgraded SSMS to the latest 17.5 release and then tried to connect. Success.

I then downloaded SQL Operations Studio (preview) and installed it and then used it to connect to the container and it worked.

Finally success with a Docker Windows container running SQL Server 2017.

My final test was to switch to Linux containers, pull and run the latest SQL Server image, which all worked. Them connected with both SSMS and SQLOps. And it all worked.

So now I can use SQL Server 2017 using Docker for Windows in either a Windows or Linux container.