---
title: "How to Install and Configure a ControlUp On-Premises Database"
slug: "controlup-on-premises-database"
description: "Install & configure a ControlUp database to use in on-premises deployments. This article explains how to install and configure this database. "
updated: 2026-03-31T11:52:12Z
published: 2026-03-31T11:52:12Z
canonical: "support.controlup.com/controlup-on-premises-database"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.controlup.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# ControlUp On-Premises Database

## Introduction

The ControlUp On-Premises (COP) deployment requires a database to store incidents, [script actions](/v1/docs/script-based-actions-sba), and [virtual expert](/v1/docs/virtual-expert-settings-contextual-navigation-rules) recommendations. The following article provides information on how to install and configure a COP database.

## Supported SQL Server Versions

The following Microsoft SQL Server versions are supported when you choose your own SQL Server instance. For more information, see [Production Mode](/v1/docs/controlup-on-premises-database#production-mode).

- Microsoft SQL Server 2022, 2019, 2017, 2016, or 2014. Database products from other vendors are **not** supported.
- Express, Standard, or Enterprise Edition.

## Prerequisites

- If you use [production mode](/v1/docs/controlup-on-premises-database#production-mode), the ControlUp database you specify during installation must exist before you install COP.
- The database collation must be **SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS**.
- The user you specify during the installation must have the following permissions:
  - ALTER SCHEMA
  - CREATE PROCEDURE
  - CREATE TABLE
  - CREATE VIEW
  - CREATE FUNCTION
  - SELECT / INSERT / UPDATE / DELETE / EXECUTE
- The user you specify must be granted the **db_owner** user role.

## Deployment Mode

When you install the COP server, by default, it deploys in [Production Mode](/v1/docs/controlup-on-premises-database#production-mode).

Light Mode

From the 8.8 Maintenance Release and higher, COP no longer supports Light Mode deployment. For small ControlUp environments or POCs, you can download and install SQL Server Express, and provide it as a Production Server.

### Production Mode

Production Mode is the recommended deployment type for production environments as it provides more configuration options. Before deployment, you must first create the ControlUp database.

**Note**

You should only use Production Mode for production environments.

#### Preparation for Production Mode

To prepare the ControlUp database, you can use [SSMS](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/ssms/download-sql-server-management-studio-ssms?view=sql-server-ver16) or any other compatible tool.

1. Open SSMS and connect to the SQL Server instance. After you connect, right-click **Database** > **New Database...** ![SQL Server instance showing Database with New Database... selected](https://cdn.document360.io/098100b7-b9da-4bea-b4b9-017140ab863e/Images/Documentation/image-NKH7RWV0.png)
2. Enter the database name. We recommend keeping the name **ControlUpDB**. As the **Owner**, select the database owner. Make sure that this user has the **db_owner** member role.
3. In the COP installation wizard, provide the following database details: ![configure controlup database screen](https://cdn.document360.io/098100b7-b9da-4bea-b4b9-017140ab863e/Images/Documentation/image-40SJ18PM.png)

- **SQL Server**. The FQDN or IP address of the SQL Server instance.
- **Port**. By default, SQL Server listens on TCP port 1433. If another port is used, change the port number as needed.
- **Authentication**. Define how the user needs to authenticate to the ControlUp database. Make sure that the user you define here is already created on the SQL Server instance.
  - **Windows Integrated Authentication**. Active Directory user for authentication.
  - **SQL Authentication**. An SQL user with a password.
- **Encrypt DB Connection**. Encrypts the data in transit. We recommend activating this checkbox as it helps prevent man-in-the-middle attacks.
- **Trust Server Certificate**. Forces the certificate of the server to be trusted, even when the certificate is not issued by a Certification Authority. It is best practice to keep this box unchecked.
- **Skip DB validations**. When checked, the installer does not run the [prerequisite](/v1/docs/controlup-on-premises-database#prerequisites) check.
- **Upgrade Existing DB**. Update an existing ControlUp database. Make sure you provide the same database name and SQL Server instance. Once a database is found, the installer will automatically update the database to the latest ControlUp version.
- **Certificate**. If you don't select the **Trust Server Certificate**, you need to provide an X509 certificate that should already exist in the Local Certificate Store on your SQL Server. In the **Certificate Password** field, provide a password which is required to access the X.509 certificate data.