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SQL Server on Windows: Isolation changes for Machine Learning Services

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Applies to: SQL Server 2019 (15.x) and later - Windows only and SQL Server 2022 (16.x) - Windows only

This article describes the changes to the isolation mechanism in Machine Learning Services in SQL Server on Windows, first introduced in SQL Server 2019. These changes affect SQLRUserGroup, firewall rules, file permission, and implied authentication.

For more information, see how to install SQL Server Machine Learning Services on Windows.

Changes to isolation mechanism

On Windows, SQL Setup changes the isolation mechanism for external processes. This change replaces local worker accounts with AppContainers, an isolation technology for client applications running on Windows.

There are no specific action items for the administrator as a result of the modification. On a new or upgraded server, all external scripts and code executed from sp_execute_external_script follow the new isolation model automatically.

Summarized, the main differences in this release are:

  • Local user accounts under SQL Restricted User Group (SQLRUserGroup) are no longer created or used to run external processes. AppContainers replace them.
  • SQLRUserGroup membership has changed. Instead of multiple local user accounts, membership consists of just the SQL Server Launchpad service account. R and Python processes now execute under the Launchpad service identity, isolated through AppContainers.

Although the isolation model has changed, the Installation wizard and command line parameters remain the same as compared to older versions of SQL Server. For help with installation, see Install SQL Server 2016-2019 Machine Learning Services or Install SQL Server 2022 Machine Learning Services (Python and R) on Windows.

About AppContainer isolation

In previous releases, SQLRUserGroup contained a pool of local Windows user accounts (MSSQLSERVER00-MSSQLSERVER20) used for isolating and running external processes. When an external process was needed, SQL Server Launchpad service would take an available account and use it to run a process.

Starting with SQL Server 2019, SQL Setup no longer creates local worker accounts. Instead, isolation is achieved through AppContainers. At run time, when embedded script or code is detected in a stored procedure or query, SQL Server calls Launchpad with a request for an extension-specific launcher. Launchpad invokes the appropriate runtime environment in a process under its identity, and instantiates an AppContainer to contain it. This change is beneficial because local account and password management is no longer required. Also, on installations where local user accounts are prohibited, elimination of the local user account dependency means you can now use this feature.

As implemented by SQL Server, AppContainers are an internal mechanism. While you won't see physical evidence of AppContainers in Process Monitor, you can find them in outbound firewall rules created by Setup to prevent processes from making network calls.

Firewall rules created by Setup

By default, SQL Server disables outbound connections by creating firewall rules. In the past, these rules were based on local user accounts, where Setup created one outbound rule for SQLRUserGroup that denied network access to its members (each worker account was listed as a local principle subject to the rule).

As part of the move to AppContainers, there are new firewall rules based on AppContainer SIDs: one for each of the 20 AppContainers created by SQL Server Setup. Naming conventions for the firewall rule name are Block network access for AppContainer-00 in SQL Server instance MSSQLSERVER, where 00 is the number of the AppContainer (00-20 by default), and MSSQLSERVER is the name of the SQL Server instance.

Note

If network calls are required, you can disable the outbound rules in Windows Firewall.

File permissions

By default, external Python and R scripts only have read access permission to their working directories.

If your Python or R scripts need access to any other directory, you need give either Read & execute and/or Write permissions to the NT Service\MSSQLLaunchpad service user account and ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES on this directory.

Follow the steps below to grant access.

  1. In File Explorer, right-click on the folder you want to use as working directory, and select Properties.
  2. Select Security and click Edit... to change permissions.
  3. Click Add...
  4. Make sure the From this location is the local computer name.
  5. Enter ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES in Enter the object names to select and click Check Names. Click OK.
  6. Select Read & execute under the Allow column.
  7. Select Write under the Allow column, if you want to grant write permissions.
  8. Click OK and OK.

Program file permissions

As with previous releases, the SQLRUserGroup continues to provide read and execute permissions on executables in the SQL Server Binn, R_SERVICES, and PYTHON_SERVICES directories. In this release, the only member of SQLRUserGroup is the SQL Server Launchpad service account. When Launchpad service starts an R or Python execution environment, the process runs as LaunchPad service.

Implied authentication

As before, additional configuration is still required for implied authentication in cases where script or code has to connect back to SQL Server using trusted authentication to retrieve data or resources. The additional configuration involves creating a database login for SQLRUserGroup, whose sole member is now the single SQL Server Launchpad service account instead of multiple worker accounts. For more information about this task, see Add SQLRUserGroup as a database user.

A symbolic link is created to the current default R_SERVICES and PYTHON_SERVICES as part of SQL Server Setup. If you don't want to create this link, an alternative is to grant 'all application packages' read permission to the hierarchy leading up to the folder.

See also