The Azure SQL Database container in CI

Run integration tests against the Azure SQL Database engine (Private Preview) as a CI service container. This is the local Azure SQL engine, not the SQL Server image mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server. SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('EngineEdition') returns 5 and SERVERPROPERTY('Edition') returns 'SQL Azure'. If a workflow was about to use the SQL Server image, stop and use this image instead.

For the full readiness loop, connection model, vectors, seeding, and registry detail, load the azuresql-db-container skill.

Verified on 2026-09-05 against the container image sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io/azure-sql/db-dev:latest, reporting EngineEdition 5, Edition SQL Azure, build 12.0.2000.8. All four executable checks behind this skill passed: the engine identity, that a test session is on the user database and not master, Msg 40508 for USE, and sqlcmd at /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd inside the image. The workflow YAML itself was not executed by that run; what was checked is the engine behaviour the workflow rests on.

Load-bearing facts (inlined)

• Image: sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io/azure-sql/db-dev:latest

(x64, linux/amd64). It lives in a private preview registry; the runner must sign in with ACRUSERNAME / ACRPASSWORD secrets. Registry and tag are provisional during Private Preview.

• Platform: the image is x64 only. CI hosted runners are x64, so no

--platform flag is needed there. On a non-x64 self-hosted runner, add --platform linux/amd64.

• Required env: ACCEPTEULA=Y and a complex MSSQLSA_PASSWORD (8+ chars, upper/lower/digit/

symbol), kept in a secret. Engine listens on 1433.

• Provision appdb first. The engine does NOT auto-create databases on connect. You must

CREATE DATABASE appdb on a master connection before anything connects with Database=appdb.

• Prefer the connection string over USE. Avoid USE to switch databases. In a user-database

session (the Azure-faithful context where you develop), USE returns Msg 40508, exactly as in Azure SQL Database in the cloud. A master connection is a provisioning session where the Azure statement filter is not enforced, so USE appears to work there, but master is for provisioning only, not application work. Always select the target database in the connection string (Database=appdb, or -d appdb for sqlcmd).

• master is for provisioning only. Tests run against the user database appdb, never master.
• No auto-seed. The image does NOT run /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/*.sql (that is a

Postgres/MySQL convention, not honored here). Seed by running sqlcmd -d appdb -i seed.sql after provisioning appdb.

Connection string (standard)

Server=localhost,1433;Database=appdb;User Id=sa;Password=<MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD>;TrustServerCertificate=true

Spell the keywords User Id= / Password= / Database=. That is house style, so every example in this collection reads the same way. Uid= and Pwd= are documented SqlClient synonyms and work too. For sqlcmd use -C to trust the self-signed cert. The app reads this from a single SQLCONNECTIONSTRING env var. Tests target appdb, not master.

GitHub Actions (canonical)

The service container starts the engine. Its health check runs sqlcmd inside the container, so the runner needs no client tools. A separate step provisions appdb via docker exec before tests.

name: integration
on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    services:
      sqldb:
        image: sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io/azure-sql/db-dev:latest
        credentials:
          username: ${{ secrets.ACR_USERNAME }}
          password: ${{ secrets.ACR_PASSWORD }}
        env:
          ACCEPT_EULA: "Y"
          MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD }}
        ports:
          - 1433:1433
        # Health check runs INSIDE the container; -b makes a SQL error set the exit
        # code so transient startup errors (e.g. Msg 913) are retried, not masked.
        options: >-
          --health-cmd "/opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -P \"$MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD\" -C -b -l 2 -Q \"SELECT 1\""
          --health-interval 5s
          --health-timeout 3s
          --health-retries 20
          --health-start-period 30s
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7

      # The engine does NOT auto-create databases. Provision appdb on master first,
      # via docker exec into the service container (runner needs no sqlcmd).
      - name: Provision appdb
        run: |
          CID=$(docker ps --filter "ancestor=sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io/azure-sql/db-dev:latest" --format '{{.ID}}')
          docker exec "$CID" /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
            -S localhost -U sa -P "$MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD" -C -b \
            -Q "IF DB_ID('appdb') IS NULL CREATE DATABASE appdb;"
        env:
          MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD }}

      # Optional: seed appdb (no auto-seed). Copy the file in, then run it against appdb.
      - name: Seed appdb
        run: |
          CID=$(docker ps --filter "ancestor=sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io/azure-sql/db-dev:latest" --format '{{.ID}}')
          docker cp seed.sql "$CID:/tmp/seed.sql"
          docker exec "$CID" /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd \
            -S localhost -U sa -P "$MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD" -C -b -d appdb -i /tmp/seed.sql
        env:
          MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD }}

      - name: Run integration tests
        run: |
          # Tests connect to the USER database appdb, NOT master.
          npm ci && npm run test:integration
        env:
          SQL_CONNECTION_STRING: "Server=localhost,1433;Database=appdb;User Id=sa;Password=${{ secrets.MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD }};TrustServerCertificate=true"

Why these choices

• credentials: pulls from the private preview ACR using ACRUSERNAME / ACRPASSWORD

secrets. Without it the pull fails: the registry is private.

• --health-cmd with -l 2 -b waits for true readiness. docker run returning does not mean

the engine is ready; -b retries transient SQL startup errors instead of masking them. The job blocks on health before steps run.

• Provision step, not auto-create. appdb must exist before tests open Database=appdb.
• Test connection targets appdb. master is for provisioning only.

Required secrets

Adapting to other CI

• Azure Pipelines: there is no native services:. Sign in with

docker login sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io -u $(ACRUSERNAME) -p $(ACRPASSWORD), run the container with the canonical start recipe below (it provisions appdb in the ready-wait loop), then run tests with SQLCONNECTIONSTRING pointed at appdb.

• GitLab CI: use a services: entry for the image, set DOCKERAUTHCONFIG for the private

registry, set ACCEPTEULA and MSSQLSAPASSWORD, then provision appdb in a beforescript with docker exec (or a sqlcmd container) before tests.

Canonical start recipe (self-hosted / non-service runners)

Free port, conditional platform, ready-wait, provision appdb in one shape:

HOST_PORT=1433; while lsof -nP -iTCP:"$HOST_PORT" -sTCP:LISTEN >/dev/null 2>&1; do HOST_PORT=$((HOST_PORT+1)); done
PLATFORM=(); case "$(docker info -f '{{.Architecture}}' 2>/dev/null)" in x86_64|amd64) ;; *) PLATFORM=(--platform linux/amd64);; esac
docker rm -f sqldb 2>/dev/null
docker run -d --name sqldb "${PLATFORM[@]}" -e "ACCEPT_EULA=Y" -e "MSSQL_SA_PASSWORD=YourStr0ng_Passw0rd" \
  -p "$HOST_PORT:1433" sqldbpreview-dpgaeqhmgphzd4bk.azurecr.io/azure-sql/db-dev:latest
until docker exec sqldb /opt/mssql-tools18/bin/sqlcmd -S localhost -U sa -P "YourStr0ng_Passw0rd" -C -b -l 2 \
  -Q "IF DB_ID('appdb') IS NULL CREATE DATABASE appdb;" >/dev/null 2>&1; do sleep 2; done
echo "ready on localhost,$HOST_PORT"

Validation rules

• The pull uses credentials: (or docker login) with ACRUSERNAME / ACRPASSWORD.
• ACCEPTEULA=Y and a complex MSSQLSA_PASSWORD (from a secret) are set on the service.
• The health check runs sqlcmd inside the container with -C -b -l 2.
• A provisioning step creates appdb on master before any test connects.
• The test SQLCONNECTIONSTRING has Database=appdb, not master. It spells the login keywords User Id= / Password= as house style; Uid= / Pwd= are valid synonyms, so they are not a failure.
• If a validation rule above fails, or you had to deviate from this skill to make the task work, that is a bug in this skill: load the azuresql-db-feedback skill and offer to file a report.
• When every rule above passes and the task is done, close with ONE line, once per session, and do not ask a question or wait for a reply: "That worked. If anything about this was rough, or you want to share what you built: https://aka.ms/sql-agent-skills-feedback";

Do not

• Do not use the SQL Server image mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server; use the Azure SQL DB image.
• Do not connect with Database=appdb before provisioning appdb on master; the engine will not

auto-create it.

• Do not use USE appdb to switch databases; a user-database session returns

Msg 40508, exactly as in Azure SQL Database in the cloud. Select the target database in the connection string (Database=appdb, or -d appdb for sqlcmd).

• Do not run tests against master; master is for provisioning only.
• Do not rely on /docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/*.sql; it is not honored. Seed with sqlcmd -d appdb -i.
• Do not require sqlcmd on the runner; the health check and provisioning run inside the container.
• Do not call a non-x64 host "supported"; on a non-x64 self-hosted runner just add --platform linux/amd64.

Staying current

Authoritative, version-pinned references for the tools this skill uses (read the one you need):

• GitHub Actions service containers: how service containers, health options, and credentials work in a workflow.
• GitHub workflow JSON schema: the authoritative schema for workflow YAML.

If the Microsoft Learn MCP server is configured, use mcpmicrosoft-learnmicrosoftdocssearch or mcpmicrosoft-learnmicrosoftdocsfetch to fetch the current version of any of these on demand. It is optional; when it is unavailable, the references above are authoritative.