Cisco Quality Manager 11.5.1 SR6 with Microsoft SQL Server Express 2014

After smashing around in SQL for too long to get the basic QM communication to work (shown below), I found that Andrzej Gołębiowski  documented the same requirements at http://blog.citrix24.com/configure-sql-express-to-accept-remote-connections/ back in 2014.  He has some additional detail regarding SQL versions, service usage and best practices there. I encourage you to check it out.  My info is limited to the basics required to get QM running on a rainy Tuesday morning.

I was recently tasked with spinning up a Cisco WFO QM / Quality Manager instance for a demo to be run out of our own office.  Given it was only a demo I used a small stand alone OVA for QM (version 11.5(1) currently available here),  a trial version of Windows Server 2012 R2 ( https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2012) and a  version of MS SQL Express 2014 (https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=42299).

When downloading MS SQL Express, choose the ExpressAndTools 64BIT\SQLEXPRWT_x64_ENU.exe version.  You may have to scroll down a bit on MS's page to find it.  Having the extra administration tools available up front is worth the extra few minutes it takes to download the media.

If you are not typically administering MS SQL servers, you will need to perform some SQL setup that is not documented in the Cisco QM install information.

You will need to enable TCP connections to SQL server.

• Run Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
• Right Click on your SQL server and choose Properties.
• Verify Allow remote connections to this server is checked.

• Run SQL Server Configuration Manager.
• Expand SQL SErver Network Configuration and select Protocols for SQLEXPRESS
• Right Click TCP/IP and choose Enable.

You will need to set SQL Server to listen on a static port.

• Still in SQL Server Configuration Manager...
• Expand SQL Server Network Configuration and select Protocols for SQLEXPRESS
• Right Click TCP/IP and choose Properties.
• Choose the IP Addresses tab.
• Scroll down to the IPAll section.
• Remove the value in TCP Dynamic Ports.
• Enter 1433 as the TCP Port

• Still in SQL Server Configuration Manager...
• Choose SQL Server Services.
• Right Click SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) and choose Restart
• After the server is restarted, make note of the Process ID.
• From the windows CLI, run netstat -ano | find /i "<your process ID>" 

The listening port should now be 1433.

 You will need to turn on the SQL Server Browser Services

• Still in SQL Server Configuration Manager
• Choose SQL Server Services.
• Right Click SQL Server Browser and choose Properties.
• On the Service tab,  change the Start Mode to Automatic.
• On the Log On tab, choose the Start Button.

Assuming you've previously followed the Cisco QM Installation guides, you should now be able to have QM make successful connections to SQL server.