/prisma-orm-setup

SQL Server Setup

Configure Prisma ORM 7 with SQL Server. For an existing Prisma 6 app, keep its configuration and use the Prisma 6 docs; the configuration and adapter examples below are for 7.

Prerequisites

• SQL Server 2017, 2019, 2022, or Azure SQL
• TCP/IP enabled

1. Schema Configuration

In prisma/schema.prisma:

datasource db {
  provider = "sqlserver"
}

generator client {
  provider = "prisma-client"
  output   = "../generated"
}

2. Config Configuration

In prisma.config.ts:

import 'dotenv/config'
import { defineConfig, env } from 'prisma/config'

export default defineConfig({
  schema: 'prisma/schema.prisma',
  datasource: {
    url: env('DATABASE_URL'),
  },
})

3. Environment Variable

In .env:

DATABASE_URL="sqlserver://localhost:1433;database=mydb;user=sa;password=Password123;encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=true"

Connection String Format

sqlserver://HOST:PORT;database=DB;user=USER;password=PASS;encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=true

• encrypt: Required for Azure (true).
• trustServerCertificate: True for self-signed certs (local dev).

Driver Adapter

Use a driver adapter for the standard SQL workflow.

1. Install adapter and driver:

   npm install @prisma/adapter-mssql@7 mssql

2. Set SQLSERVER_USER and SQLSERVER_PASSWORD in the application environment to match the CLI URL, and use the same server, port, database, and TLS options. The following example is for local development with a self-signed certificate; use certificate verification for hosted databases. Instantiate Prisma Client with the adapter:

   import 'dotenv/config'
   import { PrismaClient } from '../generated/client'
   import { PrismaMssql } from '@prisma/adapter-mssql'
   
   const adapter = new PrismaMssql({
     server: 'localhost',
     port: 1433,
     database: 'mydb',
     user: process.env.SQLSERVER_USER,
     password: process.env.SQLSERVER_PASSWORD,
     options: {
       encrypt: true,
       trustServerCertificate: true,
     },
   })
   
   const prisma = new PrismaClient({ adapter })

Common Issues

"Login failed for user"

• SQL Server auth vs Windows auth. Prisma typically uses SQL Server authentication (username/password).
• Ensure TCP/IP is enabled in SQL Server Configuration Manager.

"Table not found" (dbo schema)

Check that the connection URL's schema parameter (normally dbo) matches the intended schema. Preserve an existing multi-schema configuration and model mappings.

References

• Prisma 7 SQL Server documentation