While it is far out of scope for this Reference Manual to provide a guide on how to configure the operating system on which the SQL Server hosting the Application Server Database is run we want to point out a few things that you should definitely think about when you install an SQL Server.

Firewall

Firewall systems help prevent unauthorized access to computer resources. If a firewall is turned on but not correctly configured, attempts to connect to SQL Server might be blocked. You have to make sure that the SQL Server can be accessed from the computer where you plan to install the Application Server.

Please refer to chapter Firewall configuration for more details.

Anti virus

While anti virus software of course helps to protect your computer systems, the decision if you should or should not install antivirus protection software on your database server is not as easy. and is depending on your special environment.

In Knowledge Base article KB309422 Microsoft says following:

"We strongly recommend that you individually assess the security risk for each computer that is running SQL Server in your environment and that you select the tools that are appropriate for the security risk level of each computer that is running SQL Server. Additionally, we recommend that before you roll out any virus-protection project, you test the whole system under a full load to measure any changes in stability and performance."

Windows updates

If you are planning for highest availability of the Database Server you should configure Windows Update accordingly. If not, the Windows Update might automatically download and install Updates and then reboot your server. However if you turn off automatic updates you will have to care about necessary security updates yourself in order to secure your system.