Configures Microsoft's SQL Server Docker image with default mount bindings that map to external drives for data and log file usage.

Prior to building the image and creating the container, ensure the following:

• All Docker files are in the same directory.
• One has valid permissions to the (external) volumes they plan to mount to the container.
• Docker Compose is installed--included when using Docker Desktop.

Simply run the following command in a terminal session that's mapped to the directory where the files have been cloned to build the image and create the container in detach mode.

$ docker compose -f mssql-compose.yml up --build -d

• Use the .env file to edit yaml variables.
• By default the external port is set to 1001; therefore change this port if one plans to run multiple containers in the same (local) network.
• One can use a different image tag for the feature_tag_name variable provided by Microsoft's Docker Hub repository found at this link: https://hub.docker.com/_/microsoft-mssql-server/
• Use the following file path syntax for mounting external volumes:
  • Windows - "D:\\Path\\To\\Folder"
  • Linux - /mnt/d/path/to/folder
• Connect Microsoft's SQL Server Management Studio to the containerized database with the following UI inputs:
  • NOTE:
    • 1001 is the (default) port number and thus one has to change that value if different than what's assigned to the port_values variable.
    • Password is what has been assigned to the variable, MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD.

• Maps (4) seperate external volume bind mounts for the following directores:
  • User created database log files (.ldf).
  • User created database files (.mdf).
  • The default (/var/opt/mssql/data) location for system database and log files.
  • The default (/var/backups) location for database backups.
• NOTE: The user created database directory and its respective log file directory--for the MS SQL Server container--are created when the image is being built.
• Automatically sets the default locations of these directory mounts in MS SQL Server's .conf file when building the (Docker) image.

• Validated to work in Docker Desktop v4.26.1 on Windows 11 Professional, Version 22H2 (OS Build 22621.3007)
• Container runs with user mssql (non-root privelage) and the working directory is /var/opt/mssql.
  • To enter the running container as a root user, execute the following in a terminal:
    • $ docker exec -itu root container-name sh
• For more Microsoft recommended configuration tips, refer to their documentation link: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/linux/sql-server-linux-configure-mssql-conf?view=sql-server-ver15