Installing Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server

JDBC for SQL Server - Herong's Tutorial Examples

∟Installing Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server

This section describes how to download and install Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server.

If you want to access SQL Server database from Java applications, you need to install a JDBC driver that supports SQL Server. There are many software vendors offer such JDBC drivers.

Microsoft offers a free driver called "Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server". Here is how download and install it.

1. Go to Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server Website at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/connect/jdbc/microsoft-jdbc-driver-for-sql-server.

2. Click the Download link. You see a list of different versions.

3. Select a version that is compatible with SQL Server version and JVM version according the table below. Take the latest version, if you are not sure.

JDBC Driver         JVM      SQL Server
-----------   ---------   -------------
        9.4   8, 11, 16     2012 - 2019
        8.4   8, 11, 14     2012 - 2019
        7.4   8, 11, 12     2012 - 2016
        7.2       8, 11   2008R2 - 2016
        7.0       8, 10   2008R2 - 2016
        6.4     7, 8, 9   2008R2 - 2016
        6.2        7, 8     2008 - 2016
        6.1        7, 8     2008 - 2016
        6.0        7, 8     2008 - 2016
        4.2        7, 8     2008 - 2016
        4.1           7     2008 - 2016
        4.0     5, 6, 7     2008 - 2016

2. Select "English" as the language and click "Download". And save the downloaded file as sqljdbc_9.4.1.0_enu.zip.

3. Unpackage the downloaded file. You should get a sub-directory with these files:

herong> dir sqljdbc_9.4\enu\

          auth
    1,182 install.txt
   12,112 license.txt
1,358,690 mssql-jdbc-9.4.1.jre11.jar
1,358,629 mssql-jdbc-9.4.1.jre16.jar
1,346,759 mssql-jdbc-9.4.1.jre8.jar
      199 redist.txt
    7,882 release.txt
          samples
   12,563 thirdpartynotices.txt
          xa

4. Copy the correct version of the JAR file, like mssql-jdbc-9.4.1.jre16.jar, to the working directory.

Note that JDBC Driver JAR file names of newer versions become more clear than older versions. JAR file names of older versions are listed below together with their compatible JDBC versions.

JDBC Driver   JAR File        JDBC API   JDK
Version       Name            Version    Version
-----------   --------        --------   -------
1.0           sqljdbc.jar     2.0        1.5

2.0           sqljdbc.jar     3.0        1.5
2.0           sqljdbc4.jar    4.0        1.6

3.0           sqljdbc.jar     3.0        1.5
3.0           sqljdbc4.jar    4.0        1.6

4.0           sqljdbc.jar     3.0        1.5
4.0           sqljdbc4.jar    4.0        1.6

4.1           sqljdbc.jar     3.0        1.5
4.1           sqljdbc4.jar    4.0        1.6
4.1           sqljdbc41.jar   4.1        1.7

4.2           sqljdbc.jar     3.0        1.5
4.2           sqljdbc4.jar    4.0        1.6
4.2           sqljdbc41.jar   4.1        1.7
4.2           sqljdbc42.jar   4.2        1.8