Preparing the Nintex Database Server

For information relating to this topic, see the topic Data Store and Backup Strategy

Preparing the Nintex Database Server consists of 2 main steps:

Install SQL Server Management Studio (if not previously installed); and
Prepare SQL Server instance by following the instructions relevant to your situation:
1. An SQL instance is not yet installed; or
2. An SQL instance is already installed

The supported database engine for the Nintex database server is SQL Server 2012 and above
The Nintex database server can be installed on the same machine as the Nintex RPA server if machine resources are sufficient

Step 1: Install SQL Server Management Studio

SQL Server Management Studio is required in order to work with the Nintex database schema. If not yet installed:

Download Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio.
Run the installation package using the default installation options.

Important

You may be prompted to restart the sever after installation of SQL Server Management Studio. It is important to do so or an automatic restart will occur during Nintex RPA server installation.

Step 2: Prepare an SQL Server instance

The Nintex RPA Server installation package to automatically installNintex RPA Server utilizes 2 databases: the application database and the authentication platform database. Both of these database schema must reside in the same SQL Server instance (though it's perfectly fine if other schema also exist in this instance).

If an SQL Server instance is not yet installed

You can choose for the Nintex a local instance of Microsoft SQL Server 2017 Express. If you will elect this option, skip the remainder of this topic and proceed to Nintex RPA Server installation. Nintex RPA Server Installation
If you wish to manually install SQL Server, follow the instructions in the Appendix Installing Microsoft SQL Server (Express Edition). Then, return here and follow the instructions for when an SQL instance is already installed.

If an SQL Server instance already installed

If an instance of SQL Server is already installed on a machine that will be accessible over the network to the Nintex RPA Server, proceed with the instructions in:

Configuring the SQL Server instance
Creating a login for the Nintex RPA server to access the database

Configure SQL Server instance

Open SQL Server Configuration Manager (a tool installed with SQL Server), and follow these steps to configure the database instance:

Enable and configure TCP/IP
1. Under SQL Server Network Configuration > Protocols for {Instance Name}, enable TCP/IP
2. Double click TCP/IP to open its configuration
3. On the IP Addresses tab, scroll down to IPAll
4. Remove the 0 value from TCP Dynamic Ports (so that it now appears blank)
5. In TCP Port, enter the port number used to communicate with this database instance
  - To use the default value, enter 1433
6. Click the OK button to save your changes
In SQL Server Services, right-click the SQL Server service for the relevant instance and select Restart
Configure and start the SQL Server Browser
1. In SQL Server Services, double click the SQL Server Browser service to open its configuration
2. On the Service tab, set the Start Mode value to Automatic
3. Click the OK button to save your changes
4. Right-click the SQL Server Browser service and select Start

Create a login to the SQL Server

Create a login by which the Nintex RPA Server will access the database:

Open SQL Server Management Studio and connect to the database server
In the Object Explorer, right-click Security and select New > Login
Enter the following data to create the login:
- If you are using SQL authentication as your database authentication method:
  - Authentication: SQL Server authentication
  - Login name: set as desired
  - Password: set as desired (the following special characters aren't supported
    
    For password, the special characters \ ; & " aren't supported.
  - Enforce password policy: disabled
- If you are using Windows authentication as your database authentication method:
  - Authentication: Windows authentication
  - Login name:the user with rights to run Nintex services on the Nintex RPA server
Ensure that sysadmin is enabled on the Server Roles page of this login properties.

What if I can't grant sysadmin rights to this login?

The Nintex RPA Server installation package executes certain tasks that require sysadmin rights (e.g., creating database schema and building database tables). If the database doesn't have sysadmin rights at the time of installation, follow the additional steps in Creating Database Manually prior to the installation.

Tip: Hold on to that info!

Make your life easier when installing the Nintex RPA server by making note of:

the FQDN of the database server
the database instance name
login credentials

-Take me to the relevant step in the Nintex RPA Server Installation Guide-