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Configure Windows service accounts and permissions for Azure extension for SQL Server

Applies to: SQL Server

This article lists the permissions Azure extension for SQL Server sets for the NT Service\SQLServerExtension account. This account is used when you Operate SQL Server enabled by Azure Arc with least privilege.

Note

Existing servers with the extension from the November 2024 release or later will automatically have least privileged configuration applied. This application will happen gradually.

To prevent automatic application of least privilege, block extension upgrades to the November 2024 release.

Manually setting the permissions for the agent account is not supported.

The extension sets permissions when you enable features on the Azure portal. If you don't enable a feature, the extension does not set the permissions for that feature. If you disable a feature, the extension removes the permissions.

SQL permissions lists the permissions tied to features that the extension grants when features are enabled.

Note

NT Authority\System must have access to modify permissions on listed directories and registry keys. This is needed so that NT Authority\System can grant required access to NT Service\SqlServerExtension account for least privileges mode.

Directory permissions

Directory path Required permissions Details Feature
<SystemDrive>\Packages\Plugins\Microsoft.AzureData.WindowsAgent.SQLServer Full control Extension related dlls and exe files. Default
C:\Packages\Plugins\Microsoft.AzureData.WindowsAgent.SqlServer\<extension_version>\RuntimeSettings Full control Extension settings file. Default
C:\Packages\Plugins\Microsoft.AzureData.WindowsAgent.SqlServer\<extension_version>\status Full control Extension status file. Default
C:\ProgramData\GuestConfig\extension_logs\Microsoft.AzureData.WindowsAgent.SqlServer Full control Extension log files. Default
C:\Packages\Plugins\Microsoft.AzureData.WindowsAgent.SqlServer\<extension_version>\status\HeartBeat.Json Full control Extension heartbeat file. Default
%ProgramFiles%\Sql Server Extension Full control Extension service files. Default
<SystemDrive>\Windows\system32\extensionUpload Full control Required to write usage file needed for billing. Default
<SystemDrive>\Windows\system32\ExtensionHandler.log Full control Pre-log folder created by extension. Default
<ProgramData>\AzureConnectedMachineAgent\Config Read Arc config files directory. Default
C:\Windows\System32\config\systemprofile\AppData\Local\Microsoft SQL Server Extension Agent Full control Required to write assessment reports and status. Default
SQL log directory (as set in registry) 1:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL<base_version>.<instance_name>\MSSQL\log
Read Required to extract SQL vCores info from SQL logs. Default
SQL backup directory (as set in registry) 1:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL<base_version>.<instance_name>\MSSQL\Backup
ReadAndExecute/Write /Delete Required for Backups Backup

1 For more information, see File Locations and Registry Mapping.

Registry permissions

Base key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

Registry key Permission required Details Feature
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server Read Read SQL Server properties like installedInstances. Default
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\<InstanceRegistryName>\MSSQLSERVER Full control Microsoft Entra ID and Purview. Microsoft Entra ID

Purview
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates Full control Required for Microsoft Entra ID. Microsoft Entra ID
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services Read SQL Server account name. Default
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\AzureDefender\SQL Read Azure Defender status and last update time. Default
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SqlServerExtension Full control Extension related values. Default
SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Read and Write Enabling automatic windows update via extension. Automatic updates

Group permissions

NT Service\SQLServerExtension is added to Hybrid agent extension applications. Supports Azure Instance Metadata Service (IMDS) Handshake.

SQL permissions

NT Service\SQLServerExtension is added:

  • As a SQL login to all the instances present currently on machine
  • As a user in each database

The extension also grants permissions to instance and database objects as features are enabled. The table below provides details.

Feature Permission Level Requirement
Default VIEW DATABASE STATE Server level Essential
VIEW SERVER STATE Server level Essential
CONNECT SQL Server level Essential
Database as a resource Default public role Server level (This is granted by default to newly added logins) Essential
Best practices assessment VIEW ANY DEFINITION Server level Feature dependent
VIEW ANY DATABASE Server level Feature dependent
SELECT master Feature dependent
SELECT msdb Feature dependent
EXECUTE ON sys.xp_enumerrorlogs master Feature dependent
EXECUTE ON sys.xp_readerrorlog master Feature dependent
Backup CREATE ANY DATABASE Server level Feature dependent
db_backupoperator role All databases Feature dependent
dbcreator Server role Feature dependent
Azure Control Plane CREATE TABLE msdb Essential
ALTER ANY SCHEMA msdb Essential
CREATE TYPE msdb Essential
EXECUTE msdb Essential
db_datawriter role msdb Feature dependent
db_datareader role msdb Feature dependent
Availability group discovery VIEW ANY DEFINITION Server level Essential
Purview SELECT All databases Feature dependent
EXECUTE All databases Feature dependent
CONNECT ANY DATABASE Server level Feature dependent
VIEW ANY DATABASE Server level Feature dependent
Monitoring SELECT dbo.sysjobactivity msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysjobs msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.syssessions msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysjobHistory msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysjobSteps msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.syscategories msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysoperators msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.suspectpages msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.backupset msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.backupmediaset msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.backupmediafamily msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.backupfile msdb Essential
CONNECT ANY DATABASE Server level Essential
VIEW ANY DATABASE Server level Essential
VIEW ANY DEFINITION Server level Essential
Migration Assessment EXECUTE dbo.agent_datetime msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.syscategories msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysjobHistory msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysjobs msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysjobSteps msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysmail_account msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysmail_profile msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.sysmail_profileaccount msdb Essential
SELECT dbo.syssubsystems msdb Essential
SELECT sys.sql_expression_dependencies All databases Essential

Note

Minimum permissions depend on enabled features. Permissions are updated when they are no longer necessary. Necessary permissions are granted when features are enabled.

Additional permissions

  • Permissions to service account to access extension service and configure autorecovery.
  • Log-on-as-service rights to service account.