Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2008

The following sections list the minimum hardware and software requirements to install and run SQL Server 2008.

For both 32-bit and 64-bit editions of SQL Server 2008, the following apply:

• For minimum version requirements to install SQL Server 2008 on Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8, see Installing SQL Server on Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8 (https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2681562).

• SQL Server 2008 Enterprise is available for evaluation during a 180-day trial period. For more information, see the SQL Server: How to Buy Web site.

• Microsoft recommends that you run SQL Server 2008 on computers with the NTFS file format. For upgrades to SQL Server 2008, FAT32 file systems will not be blocked.

• SQL Server Setup will block installations on read-only or compressed drives.

• For information about using SQL Server 2008 tools to prepare for an upgrade to SQL Server 2008, see Using Upgrade Advisor to Prepare for Upgrades.

• SQL Server does not install the .NET Framework 3.5 software development kit (SDK). However, the SDK contains tools that are useful when you use the .NET Framework for SQL Server development. You can download the .NET Framework SDK from the .NET Framework Web site.

• Requirements to restart computers during SQL Server Setup: Installation of the .NET Framework requires a restart of the operating system. If Windows Installer installation also requires a restart, Setup will wait until the .NET Framework and Windows Installer components have installed before restarting.

• For more information about features of SQL Server 2008, see the following:

  • Editions and Components of SQL Server 2008

  • Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2008

Hardware and Software Requirements

The following requirements apply to all SQL Server 2008 installations:

Component	Requirement
Framework2	SQL Server Setup installs the following software components required by the product: .NET Framework 3.5 SP11 SQL Server Native Client SQL Server Setup support files
Software2	SQL Server Setup requires Microsoft Windows Installer 4.5 or a later version After installing required components, SQL Server Setup will verify that the computer where SQL Server 2008 will be installed also meets all the other requirements for a successful installation. For more information, see Check Parameters for the System Configuration Checker.
Network Software	Network software requirements for the 64-bit versions of SQL Server 2008 are the same as the requirements for the 32-bit versions. Supported operating systems have built-in network software. Stand-alone named and default instances support the following network protocols: Shared memory Named Pipes TCP/IP VIA Note   Shared memory and VIA are not supported on failover clusters.
Virtualization	SQL Server 2008 is supported in virtual machine environments running on the Hyper-V role in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter editions. The virtual machine must run an operating system supported for the specific SQL Server 2008 edition listed later in this topic. In addition to resources required by the parent partition, each virtual machine (child partition) must be provided with sufficient processor resources, memory, and disk resources for its SQL Server 2008 instance. Requirements are listed later in this topic.3 Within the Hyper-V role on Windows Server 2008, a maximum of four virtual processors can be allocated to virtual machines running Windows Server 2008 32-bit or 64-bit editions. A maximum of 2 virtual processors can be allocated to virtual computers that are running Windows Server 2003 32-bit editions. For virtual computer that host other operating systems, a maximum of one virtual processor can be allocated to virtual computers. For more information about the Hyper-V role in Windows Server 2008, see the Windows Server 2008 Web site. Note Guest failover clustering is supported in SQL Server 2008. For more information about the supported versions of SQL Server and operating systems for guest failover clustering, and the support for virtualization, see Support policy for Microsoft SQL Server products running in a hardware virtual environment.
Internet Software	Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP1 or a later version is required for all installations of SQL Server 2008. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 or a later version is required for Microsoft Management Console (MMC), SQL Server Management Studio, Business Intelligence Development Studio, the Report Designer component of Reporting Services, and HTML Help.
Hard Disk	Disk space requirements will vary with the SQL Server 2008 components you install. For more information, see Hard disk space requirements later in this topic.
Drive	A CD or DVD drive, as appropriate, is required for installation from disc.
Display	SQL Server 2008 graphical tools require VGA or higher resolution: at least 1,024x768 pixel resolution.
Other Devices	Pointing device: A Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device is required.

1The following .NET Framework versions are required:

• SQL Server 2008 on Windows Server 2003 (64-bit) IA64 — .NET Framework 2.0 SP2

• SQL Server Express — .NET Framework 2.0 SP2

• All other editions of SQL Server 2008 — .NET Framework 3.5 SP1

Installation of .NET Framework requires a restart of the operating system. If Windows Installer installation also requires a restart, Setup will wait until .NET Framework and Windows Installer components have installed before restarting.

Note

Installing .NET Framework 2.0 SP2: .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 is not available as a separate download. You will need to install .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 which includes .NET Framework 2.0 SP2.

2SQL Server Setup will not install the following required components for SQL Server Express ,SQL Server Express with Tools, and SQL Server Express with Advanced Services. You must install these components manually before you run SQL Server Setup:

• SQL Server Express — .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and Windows installer 4.5. On Windows Vista, use .NET Framework 3.5 SP1.

• SQL Server Express with Advanced Services — .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, Windows Installer 4.5, and Windows PowerShell 1.0.

• SQL Server Express with Tools — .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, Windows Installer 4.5, and Windows PowerShell 1.0.

Note

SQL Server 2008 Express SP1 is now available in two formats: SQL Server 2008 Express SP1 with the Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1 support and SQL Server 2008 Express SP1 with the Microsoft .NET Framework version 4.0 Beta 2 support. There are no functional differences between these two formats. Either package supports computers running .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 or .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. For computers running .NET Framework 4 Beta 2 only, install SQL Server 2008 Express SP1 with the .NET Framework 4 Beta 2 support.

3 As with all virtualization technologies, SQL Server 2008 running in a Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V virtual computer will be slower than on a physical computer with the same physical resources.

Processor, Memory, and Operating System Requirements

To view system requirements, select an edition of SQL Server 2008:

Server Editions of SQL Server 2008

• SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit) IA64

• SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Standard (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (32-bit)

• SQL Server 2008 Standard (32-bit)

  Note

  SQL Server Enterprise evaluation is available for a 180-day trial period.

Specialized Editions of SQL Server 2008

• SQL Server 2008 Developer (64-bit) IA64

• SQL Server 2008 Developer (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Workgroup (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Web (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Express (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Express Advanced (64-bit) x64

• SQL Server 2008 Developer (32-bit)

• SQL Server 2008 Workgroup (32-bit)

• SQL Server 2008 Web (32-bit)

• SQL Server 2008 Express, Express with Tools, and Express with Advanced Services (32-bit)

Additional information in this topic

• Hard disk space requirements

• Cross language support

• Support for installing SQL Server 2008 on a domain controller

Server Editions (64-bit and 32-bit)

SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit) IA64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit) IA64. Note that this edition of SQL Server 2008 is not available in the following localized versions: Italian, Spanish, Brazilian (Portuguese), or Russian.

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Itanium processor or faster Processor speed: Recommended: 1.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows Server 2008 R2 Itanium IA642 Windows Server 2008 64-bit Itanium1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit Itanium Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit Itanium Enterprise1 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, 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 running on the 64-bit operating system. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit) x64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (64-bit) x64:

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003  SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard  Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter  Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise,  Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, 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 running on the 64-bit operating system. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Standard (64-bit) x64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Standard (64-bit) x64:

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP Professional x64 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Windows Vista Enterprise x64 Windows Vista Business x64 Windows Server 2008 x64 Web1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard, Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter, Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows Small Business Server 20082 Windows Server 2008 for Windows Essential Server Solutions2 Windows Server 2008 without Hyper-V for Windows Essential Server Solutions2  Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate1,3 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,3 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional1,3 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,3 Windows 2008 R2 Foundation Server1,3 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,3 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,3 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,3 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2 Supported Operating Systems for SQL Server Standard for Small Business

3 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (32-bit)

The following table shows the system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Enterprise (32-bit):

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Pentium III-compatible processor or faster Processor speed: Minimum: 1.0 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Enterprise Windows Server 2003 SP2 Datacenter Windows Server 2003 Small Business Server SP2 Standard Windows Server 2003 Small Business Server SP2 Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Server 2008 Standard (with and without Hyper-V) Windows Server 2008 Web Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 This edition of SQL Server can be installed to the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

SQL Server 2008 Standard (32-bit)

The following table shows the system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Standard (32-bit):

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Pentium III-compatible processor or faster Processor speed: Minimum: 1.0 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP Professional SP2 Windows XP SP2 Tablet Windows XP x64 Professional1 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2002 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2004 Windows XP Media Center 2005 Windows XP Professional Reduced Media Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Enterprise Windows Server 2003 SP2 Datacenter Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Ultimate x641 Windows Vista Enterprise x641 Windows Vista Business x641 Windows Server 2008 Web Windows Server 2008 Standard Server Windows Server 2008 Standard Server without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows Small Business Server 20082 Windows Server 2008 for Windows Essential Server Solutions2 Windows Server 2008 without Hyper-V for Windows Essential Server Solutions2  Windows 7 Ultimate3 Windows 7 Enterprise3 Windows 7 Professional3 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate1,3 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,3 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional1,3 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,3 Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation Server1,3 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,3 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,3 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,3 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 32-bit Windows 8 Professional 32-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 This edition of SQL Server can be installed to the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2 Supported Operating Systems for SQL Server Standard for Small Business

3 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Specialized Editions (64-bit and 32-bit)

SQL Server 2008 Developer (64-bit) IA64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Developer (64-bit) IA64. Note that this edition of SQL Server 2008 is not available in the following localized versions: Italian, Spanish, Brazilian (Portuguese), or Russian.

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: Itanium processor or faster Processor speed: Minimum: 1.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit Itanium Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit Itanium Enterprise1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit Itanium Edition1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit Itanium Edition1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Developer (64-bit) x64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Developer (64-bit) x64:

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP x64 Professional Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Windows Vista Home Premium x64 Windows Vista Home Basic x64 Windows Vista Enterprise x64 Windows Vista Business x64 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard, Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter, Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Web1 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Basic1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Premium1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Workgroup (64-bit) x64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Workgroup (64-bit) x64:

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP x64 Professional Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Windows Vista Home Premium x64 Windows Vista Home Basic x64 Windows Vista Enterprise x64 Windows Vista Business x64 Windows Server 2008 x64 Web1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard, Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter, Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Foundation Server1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 32-bit Windows 8 Professional 32-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: 4 GB

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Web (64-bit) x64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Web (64-bit) x64:

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP x64 Professional Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Windows Vista Enterprise x64 Windows Vista Business x64 Windows Server 2008 x64 Web Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard, Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter, Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum for the Database Engine, 4 GB for Reporting Services

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools (64-bit) x64

The following table shows the system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools (64-bit) x64.

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows Server 2003 x64 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Windows Vista Home Premium x64 Windows Vista Home Basic x64 Windows Vista Enterprise x64 Windows Vista Business x64 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Web1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Basic2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Premium2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Foundation Server1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:512 MB Recommended: 1 GB Maximum: 1 GB for the

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services (64-bit) x64

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services (64-bit) x64:

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows Server 2003 x64 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Windows Vista Home Premium x64 Windows Vista Home Basic x64 Windows Vista Enterprise x64 Windows Vista Business x64 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Web1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Basic2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Premium2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Foundation1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:512 MB Recommended: 1 GB Maximum: 1 GB for the Database Engine, 4 GB for Reporting Services

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

SQL Server Developer (32-bit)

The following table shows the system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Developer (32-bit):

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Pentium III-compatible processor or faster Processor speed: Minimum: 1.0 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP Home Edition SP2 Windows XP Professional SP2 Windows XP Tablet SP2 Windows XP Professional x64 SP21 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2002 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2004 Windows XP Media Center 2005 Windows XP Professional Reduced Media Windows XP Home Edition Reduced Media Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Enterprise Windows Server 2003 SP2 Datacenter Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate Windows Vista Home Premium Windows Vista Home Basic Windows Vista Starter Edition Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit x641 Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit x641 Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit x641 Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit x641 Windows Vista Business 64-bit x641 Windows Server 2008 Web Windows Server 2008 Standard Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V Windows 7 Ultimate2 Windows 7 Home Basic2 Windows 7 Home Premium2 Windows 7 Enterprise2 Windows 7 Professional2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Basic1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Premium1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows 8 32-bit Windows 8 Professional 32-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 32-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum

1 This edition of SQL Server 2008 can be installed to the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server. WOW64 is supported only for stand-alone instances of SQL Server. WOW64 is not supported for SQL Server failover cluster installations.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server Workgroup (32-bit)

The following table shows the system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Workgroup (32-bit):

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Pentium III-compatible processor or faster Processor speed: Minimum: 1.0 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP Professional SP2 Windows XP SP2 Tablet Windows XP Professional 64-bit x641 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2002 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2004 Windows XP Media Center 2005 Windows XP Professional Reduced Media Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Enterprise Windows Server 2003 SP2 Datacenter Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Premium Windows Server 2003 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Vista Ultimate Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Business Windows Vista 64-bit x64 Ultimate1 Windows Vista 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista 64-bit x64 Business1 Windows Server 2008 2008 Web Windows Server 2008 Standard Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows 7 Ultimate2 Windows 7 Enterprise2 Windows 7 Professional2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation Server1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 32-bit Windows 8 Professional 32-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum for the Database Engine, 4 GB for Reporting Services

1 This edition of SQL Server 2008 can be installed to the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server Web (32-bit)

The following table shows the system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Web (32-bit):

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Pentium III-compatible processor or faster Processor speed: Minimum: 1.0 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP Professional SP2 Windows XP SP2 Tablet Windows XP Professional XP x641 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2002 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2004 Windows XP Media Center 2005 Windows XP Professional Reduced Media Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Enterprise Windows Server 2003 SP2 Datacenter Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Ultimate x641 Windows Vista Enterprise x641 Windows Vista Business x641 Windows Server 2008 Web Windows Server 2008 Standard Server Windows Server 2008 Standard Server without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,2 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,2 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 512 MB Recommended: 2.048 GB or more Maximum: Operating system maximum for the Database Engine, 4 GB for Reporting Services

1 This edition of SQL Server 2008 can be installed to the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server.

2 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server Express (32-bit), Express with Tools, and Express with Advanced Services (32-bit)

The following table shows the system requirements for SQL Server Express (32-bit),SQL Server Express with Tools, and SQL Server Express with Advanced Services (32-bit):

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Pentium III-compatible processor or faster Processor speed: Minimum: 1.0 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows XP SP2 Home Windows XP SP2 Professional Windows XP SP2 Tablet Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2002 Windows XP SP2 Media Center 2004 Windows XP Media Center 2005 Windows Server 2003 Reduced Media Windows XP Home Edition Reduced Media Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server R2 Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 Standard Windows Server 2003 2003 SP2 Enterprise Windows Server 2003 SP2 Datacenter Windows Server 2003 SP2 Web Edition Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Standard Windows Server 2003 SP2 Small Business Server Premium Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate Windows Vista Home Premium Windows Vista Home Basic Windows Vista Enterprise Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit x643 Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit x643 Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit x643 Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit x643 Windows Vista Business 64-bit x643 Windows Server 2008 Standard Server Windows Server 2008 Standard Server without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 Web Edition Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Web Edition1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows XP Embedded SP2 feature pack 20072 Windows Embedded for Point of Service SP22 Windows 7 Ultimate4 Windows 7 Home Basic4 Windows 7 Home Premium4 Windows 7 Enterprise4 Windows 7 Professional4 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate1,4 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Basic1,4 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Premium1,4 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,4 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional1,4 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1,4 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Foundation1,4 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1,4 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1,4 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1,4 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 32-bit Windows 8 Professional 32-bit Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 32-bit 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum: 256 MB for SQL Server Express Minimum: 512 MB for SQL Server Express with Tools, and SQL Server Express with Advanced Services Recommended: 1.024 GB Maximum: 1 GB for the Database Engine that installs with SQL Server Express, SQL Server Express with Tools, and SQL Server Express with Advanced Services, 4 GB for Reporting Services that installs with SQL Server Express with Advanced Services

1 This edition of SQL Server 2008 can be installed to the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server.

2 Supports SQL Server 2008 Express, not SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools and SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services.

3 SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools and SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services can be installed to the Windows on Windows (WOW64) 32-bit subsystem of a 64-bit server with this operating system.

4 Supported only on SQL Server 2008 SP1 or higher for SQL Server 2008 Express with Tools and SQL Server 2008 Express with Advanced Services.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 support on Windows Server 2003 R2 is the same as support on Windows Server 2003 SP2.

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installations.

SQL Server 2008 Express x64 (64-bit)

The following table shows system requirements for SQL Server 2008 Express x64 (64-bit):

Component	Requirement
Processor	Processor type: Minimum: AMD Opteron, AMD Athlon 64, Intel Xeon with Intel EM64T support, Intel Pentium IV with EM64T support Processor speed: Minimum: 1.4 GHz Recommended: 2.0 GHz or faster
Operating System	Windows Server 2003 x64 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2003 SP2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Vista Ultimate x64 Windows Vista Home Premium x64 Windows Vista Home Basic x64 Windows Vista Enterprise x64 Windows Vista Business x64 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Web1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Standard without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Datacenter without Hyper-V1 Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise Windows Server 2008 64-bit x64 Enterprise without Hyper-V1 Windows 7 64-bit x64 Ultimate Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Basic Windows 7 64-bit x64 Home Premium Windows 7 64-bit x64 Enterprise Windows 7 64-bit x64 Professional Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Web1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Foundation Server1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Standard1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Enterprise1 Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit x64 Datacenter1 Windows Server 2012 64-bit Datacenter Windows Server 2012 64-bit Standard Windows Server 2012 64-bit Essentials Windows Server 2012 64-bit Foundation Windows 8 64-bit Windows 8 Professional 64-bit Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Datacenter 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Standard 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Essentials 5 Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit Foundation 5 Windows 8.1 64-bit 5 Windows 8.1 Professional 64-bit 5
Memory	RAM: Minimum:256 MB Recommended: 1.024 GB Maximum: 1 GB for the Database Engine

1 Management Tools are supported in WOW64, a feature of 64-bit editions of Microsoft Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system.

5 Windows Server 2012 or Windows 8.1 requires SQL Server 2008 SP3 (or later).

Note

SQL Server 2008 is not supported on Windows Server 2008 Server Core installations.

Cross-Language Support

• The English-language version of SQL Server 2008 is supported on all localized versions of supported operating systems.

• Localized versions of SQL Server 2008 are supported on localized operating systems that are the same language as the localized SQL Server 2008 version.

• Localized versions of SQL Server can be upgraded to localized versions of SQL Server 2008 of the same language.

• Localized versions of SQL Server cannot be upgraded to the English-language version of SQL Server 2008.

• Localized versions of SQL Server cannot be upgraded to localized SQL Server 2008 versions of a different localized language.

• Localized versions of SQL Server 2008 are also supported on English-language versions of supported operating systems by using the Windows Multilingual User Interface Pack (MUI) settings. However, you must verify certain operating system settings before you install a localized version of SQL Server 2008 on a server that is running an English-language operating system with a non-English MUI setting. You must verify that the following operating system settings match the language of SQL Server 2008 to be installed:

  • The operating system user interface setting

  • The operating system user locale setting

  • The system locale setting

  If these operating system settings do not match the language of the localized SQL Server, then you must correctly set these operating system settings before you install SQL Server 2008.

Extended System Support

SQL Server 2008 64-bit versions include support for extended systems, also known as Windows on Windows (WOW64). WOW64 is a feature of 64-bit editions of Windows that enables 32-bit applications to execute natively in 32-bit mode. Applications function in 32-bit mode even though the underlying operating system is running on the 64-bit operating system.

Hard Disk Space Requirements (32-Bit and 64-Bit)

During installation of SQL Server 2008, Windows Installer creates temporary files on the system drive. Before you run Setup to install or upgrade SQL Server, verify that you have at least 2.0 GB of available disk space on the system drive for these files. This requirement applies even if you install SQL Server 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 SQL Server 2008 components:

Feature	Disk space requirement
Database Engine and data files, Replication, and Full-Text Search	280 MB
Analysis Services and data files	90 MB
Reporting Services and Report Manager	120 MB
Integration Services	120 MB
Client Components	850 MB
SQL Server Books Online and SQL Server Compact Books Online	240 MB

Installing SQL Server on a Domain Controller

For security reasons, Microsoft recommends that you do not install SQL Server 2008 on a domain controller. SQL Server Setup will not block installation on a computer that is a domain controller, but the following limitations apply:

• On Windows Server 2003, SQL Server services can run under a domain account or a local system account.

• You cannot run SQL Server services on a domain controller under a local service account or a network service account.

• After SQL Server is installed on a computer, you cannot change the computer from a domain member to a domain controller. You must uninstall SQL Server before you change the host computer to a domain controller.

• After SQL Server is installed on a computer, you cannot change the computer from a domain controller to a domain member. You must uninstall SQL Server before you change the host computer to a domain member.

• SQL Server failover cluster instances are not supported where cluster nodes are domain controllers.

• SQL Server Setup cannot create security groups or provision SQL Server service accounts on a read-only domain controller. In this scenario, Setup will fail.

Supported Clients (64-Bit)

SQL Server 2008 64-bit client components can be installed on Windows Server 2003 (64-bit).

Stay Up to Date with SQL Server Install, and Upgrade information For the latest downloads, articles, videos and troubleshooting information from Microsoft, as well as selected solutions from the community, visit the SQL Server Setup page For automatic notification of these updates, subscribe to the RSS feeds available on the page.

See Also

Reference

Check Parameters for the System Configuration Checker

Editions and Components of SQL Server 2008

Concepts

Planning a SQL Server Installation

Security Considerations for a SQL Server Installation

Quick-Start Installation of SQL Server 2008

Change History

Updated content
All the SQL Server editions were updated to include information about support for Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2.
Added information about .NET 4.0 to the second footnote.
Added Windows 7 x64 Ultimate and Windows 7 x64 Professional support to SQL Server Developer x64 edition.
All the SQL Server editions were updated to include information about support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.