Database Prerequisites
CloudShell applications work with Microsoft SQL Server as the primary relational database backend. Starting with CloudShell 2025.1, PostgreSQL is also available as an alternative relational database backend, in Beta. For details, see PostgreSQL database support (Beta) below.
MongoDB database permissions and installation requirements
CloudShell uses MongoDB's official software and hardware requirements, as detailed in https://docs.mongodb.com/manual/administration/production-notes/. For your convenience, we've listed the minimum hardware requirements below. In case of a discrepancy, please use MongoDB's recommendations.
Minimum supported versions of MongoDB are detailed in Select the Database Type.
| Minimum Hardware Requirements | Description |
|---|---|
| CPU | 2 dual cores or 1 physical multi-core CPU |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Hard Drive | 40 GB |
SQL database user permissions
For initial CloudShell installation, provide Windows users and the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM user with the following SQL server roles:
- bulkadmin
- dbcreator
- public
- sysadmin - for the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM user only
When running CloudShell after installation, make sure your Windows users and the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM user have the following SQL server roles:
- bulkadmin
- dbowner
- public
In addition, also provide a specific permission to "Connect to SQL" that is granted manually in the "Securables" section of the user's login properties.
For a detailed list of SQL server roles, see the Fixed Server Roles appendix.
Installation requirements for SQL databases
The required components must be installed in the following order:
Database
Supported Standard editions:
- SQL Server 2012
- SQL Server 2014
- SQL Server 2016
- SQL Server 2019
- SQL Server 2022
Supported Express editions:
- SQL Server 2016 SP1
- SQL Server 2019
- SQL Server 2022
Hardware requirements for SQL Server:
| POC environment | Team Tier | Premium Tier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4 logical cores | 8 logical cores | 16 logical cores |
| Memory | 8 GB | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| Storage (hard disk) | 20 GB | 40 GB (SSD) | 100 GB (SSD) |
| Network card | 1/10 GB, according to network load | 1/10 GB, according to network load |
Installation instructions:
- For production environments, use SQL Server in an AlwaysOn availability group configuration.
- SQL Express edition should only be used for POCs. For details, see this Microsoft docs article https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads.
- Where there is an existing SQL server installed on the organization’s network, it is recommended that this is used.
- When selecting the Standalone option in the CloudShell installer, if the CloudShell installer cannot find Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft SQL Server Express on the destination environment, Microsoft SQL Server Express is installed automatically as part of the installation procedure.
- There is a limitation of the maximum database size, per database - 10 GB for SQL Server Express 2016 and above.
- SQL Server 2012 Enterprise, SQL Server 2014 Enterprise and SQL Server 2016 Standard Edition are supported for High Availability (HA) solutions.
Quali Server
Installation instruction:
- The Quali Server can be located anywhere on the organization’s network.
- For a standalone installation, the Quali Server is installed on the same machine as the clients and the database.
CloudShell applications
Installation instructions:
Quali Server, SQL server or SQL Express, and the CloudShell applications can be installed on the same machine, or on separate machines in the same network.
PostgreSQL database support (Beta)
Starting with CloudShell 2025.1, PostgreSQL is supported as an alternative relational database backend, in Beta (evaluation only). It is intended for evaluation and is not yet recommended for production deployments. Microsoft SQL Server remains the default, fully supported relational database backend.
To evaluate CloudShell on PostgreSQL, or to migrate an existing CloudShell SQL Server database to PostgreSQL, contact Quali Support for evaluation access. Quali Support will provide the required components, supported-version details, and setup and migration guidance for your CloudShell version.
Notes:
- PostgreSQL replaces only the SQL Server relational backend. CloudShell still uses MongoDB for the data described in Select the Database Type, regardless of whether the relational backend is SQL Server or PostgreSQL.
- Because this feature is in Beta, the exact supported PostgreSQL versions and configuration steps depend on your CloudShell version and are provided by Quali Support as part of evaluation access.
Additional requirements
-
The Distributed Transaction Coordinator service must be running on the database server with specific configurations, as detailed in the Troubleshooting Guide: