[TUTORIAL] – Creating your first SQL Server 2019 Lab on Virtual Box from the Scratch – Part 1: Downloading what you need

Hi everyone, this post has a very specific objective:

Helping you to install and configure CORRECTLY your Lab environment FROM THE SCRATCH!

And let’s be realistic: It will never be a “from Zero to Hero” bullshit that you catch out there. This kind of thing doesn’t exist, there’s no shortcut for that. You will have to work really hard if you want just a “from Zero to Beginner” and it’s better like that!

So it will be a Zero to at least non-Zero honest post. No miracle, no bullshit. Just a step-by-step easy to follow installation that you can use.

And YES! On this very beginning I will show you how to download what you need appropriately. Yes, just that. But even here you can get lost because of the LANGUAGE. Yes, everything must be IN ENGLISH! Because everything that you will find in the real world is in English and when you will troubleshoot something you will write, read, search in English. EVEN SQL LANGUAGE IS IN ENGLISH!

So English will be our default language here, and we will do everything in English from this moment on.

It’s not easy to start but if you start bad, it’s worst.  Way worst!

1 – Downloading Microsoft Windows Server 2016  – Evaluation Version

1. Download ISO Windows Server 2016 Evaluation Version here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2016

   

2. Fill your personal data when required
3. Select ENGLISH as your language THEN click on Download

Wait for the download to be completed and that’s it for now.

2 – Downloading Virtual Box

1. Download Virtual Box – https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads
   • Download and install it. Easy!

3 – Downloading Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Developer Edition

1. Download the SQL Server 2019 DEVELOPER EDITION https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-downloads
   • Click on Download Now

     

   • Save the File “SQL2019-SSEI-Dev.exe”

THEN:

1. Open the file “SQL2019-SSEI-Dev.exe” and select DOWNLOAD MEDIA

   

2. Select Language (Always English!), ISO and Download Location. Then Download

   

3. Wait for the Download to complete

 

And at the end of the process you will have the correct files and softwares to create your first Lab.

Nice Job!