SQL Server 2019 Protocols Overview

Eric Bortei-Doku

Program Manager

Agenda

Open Specifications – General Introduction

Open Specifications - SQL Server perspective

Core Platform Protocol Areas

Protocol Use Case: MS-TDS (Quick intro)

Open Specifications – General Intro

Open Specifications – in General

These specifications (documents) allow us to:

Be more open in our business practices, and offer

greater interoperability with our products

Work better with the industry and continue to

improve relationships with customers, students, and

partners

Open Specifications – SQL Perspective

Technical Documents

Open specification docs also called technical docs

SQL technical docs cover:▪File formats

▪Data portability

▪Protocols

▪Standards

Available in different formats:▪DOCX

▪PDF

▪HTML

Technical Document Structure

SQL technical documents have the following structure:

• Introduction• Normative sections

Typically sections 2 & 3. Describe the protocol, file format etc. in technical detail

• Informative sections• Remaining sections

Provides explanations, examples and references

• Productive behavior appendixLists the Microsoft products (and their versions) to which the content applies

Technical Doc Language & Sections

• Prescriptive language used to clarify the technical requirements for an implementation.• For Required behavior: MUST, MUST NOT

• For Optional behavior: MAY, SHOULD, SHOULD NOT

• Terms used as defined in [RFC 2119]

• Restricted to normative sections by using the appropriate template:

Other Technical Docs – Preview Docs

• Provide advance copies of new or modified protocols

• Typically published with the public“BETA” previews of a Microsoft product

• Documents are not complete, and the information is subject to change with the final release of the software

Other Technical Docs – Errata

clarify information correct errors

correctsdocument Errataupdate

Other Technical Docs – Data Portability

user-created datause in other software products

File Format doc example:

Other Technical Docs – Overview Document

Defines SQL Server protocol families

Scenario-Based

Walkthroughs and examples for:✓ Instance Discovery

✓ Client Connection

✓ Report management, authoring and reviewing

✓ Authentication and authorization

✓ Query processing … and many more

Captured in MS-SSSO

SQL Server Core Platform Areas – Overview Doc

Database Engine

• Core service for storing, processing, and securing data. • Collection of protocols for application runtime purposes and

application management purposes

SQL Server Functional Architecture

• Protocols implemented as client access libraries

• Libraries provide flexibility in connectingbetween client and engine

New Features at a Glance

• SQL Server 2017 introduced:• Graph for Many-to-many relationship modelling• Database-scoped Credentials• Machine Learning Services

• SQL Server 2019 preview features:• Calc members (MS-SSAS-T)• Memory resource governance (MS-SSAS)• Secure enclaves (MS-SCCSTR, MS-TDS)

New Features at a Glance – Secure enclaves

▅ Expands upon the Always Encrypted feature:

• Provides in-place encryption

• Supports computations on plaintext data in secure enclave

• Sensitive data protected from unauthorized high-privilege users

• MS-SCCSTR protocol updated to support this

New Features at a Glance – Secure enclaves

SQL Server Protocol Use Case: MS-TDS(Quick intro)

MS-TDS High Level Overview

• Tabular Data Stream (MS-TDS) protocol is an application layer

request/response protocol, allows interaction with a database server

and provides:

• Authentication and channel encryption negotiation

• Transfer of requests & commands (like BULK INSERT)

• Mechanism for invoking stored procedures, remote procedure calls

• Data return

• Transfer of Transaction Manager requests

MS-TDS Communication Sequence States

▅ Pre-Login state

▪ Client initiates communication with initial PRELOGIN packet

▪ Server responds

▪ … (sequence continues)

▅ Login state

▪ Client sends TDS Login request to server with SPNEGO packet

▪ Server responds

▪ … (sequence continues)

▅ Post-Login state

▪ Server ready to accept SQL commands from client

▪ For example, client sends BULK INSERT command to server

▅ See [MS-TDS] section 3.1.5

Demo

Animated illustration of the negotiation and request-response sequences

MS-TDS Communication Sequence

MS-TDS Communication Sequence

MS-TDS Pre-Login Communication Sequence

MS-TDS BULK INSERT Communication Sequence

Resources

Open SpecificationsSQL OIPI Technical DocumentationSQL OIPI Preview DocumentsMicrosoft Tabular Data Stream protocol (MS-TDS)SQL Server Overview Document (MS-SSSO)

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