Understanding Firewall Requirements for SQL Server

 

Topic Last Modified: 2012-10-17

For a Standard Edition deployment, firewall exceptions are created automatically during Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Setup. However, for Enterprise Edition deployments, you must configure the firewall exceptions manually on the Microsoft SQL Server Back End Server. The TCP/IP protocol allows for a given port to be used once for a given IP address. This means that for the SQL Server-based server you can assign the default database instance the default TCP port 1433. For any other instances you will need to use the SQL Server Configuration Manager to assign unique and unused ports. This topic covers:

• Requirements for a firewall exception when using the default instance

• Requirements for a firewall exception for the SQL Server Browser service

• Requirements for static listening ports when using named instances

Requirements for a Firewall Exception When Using the Default Instance

If you are using the SQL Server default instance for any database when deploying Microsoft Lync Server 2010, the following firewall rule requirements are used to ensure communication from the Front End pool to the SQL Server default instance.

Protocol	Port	Direction
TCP	1433	Inbound to SQL Server

Requirements for a Firewall Exception for the SQL Server Browser Service

The SQL Server Browser service will locate database instances and communicate the port that the instance (named or default) is configured to use.

Protocol	Port	Direction
UDP	1434	Inbound

Requirements for Static Listening Ports When Using Named Instances

When using named instances in the SQL Server configuration for databases supporting Lync Server 2010, you configure static ports by using SQL Server Configuration Manager. After the static ports have been assigned to each named instance, you create exceptions for each static port in the firewall.

Protocol	Port	Direction
TCP	Statically defined	Inbound

SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2008, and SQL Server 2008 R2 documentation provides detailed guidance on how to configure firewall access for databases.

For details about SQL Server 2005, see “How to: Configure a Firewall for SQL Server Access” at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=202625.

For details about SQL Server 2008, see “Configuring the Windows Firewall to Allow SQL Server Access” at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=202628.

For details about SQL Server 2008 R2, see “Configuring the Windows Firewall to Allow SQL Server Access” at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=218031.