SQL Server 2022 Developer on Ubuntu 22.04

This is a repackaged software product wherein additional charges apply for security hardening, secure-by-default configuration and per-instance setup.

Hardened AMIs for Microsoft SQL Server 2022 and 2025 on Ubuntu

Deploy Microsoft SQL Server on AWS with security hardening built in from the start. cloudimg publishes pre-configured AMIs that remove default credentials, generate per-instance secrets on first boot, and run on a fully patched Ubuntu LTS base, so each instance starts with its own credentials, TLS-encrypted connections and no database port exposed.

What cloudimg adds to every version

• Every image is built on a fully patched Ubuntu LTS base with security hardening applied before publication.
• First-boot setup generates a unique SQL Server sa password on each instance and writes it to a root-only file.
• No default password exists, no two instances share a secret, and SQL Server authentication requires that per-instance password.
• Every connection is TLS-encrypted with a certificate generated on each instance's first boot.

Included products

• SQL Server 2022 Developer
• SQL Server 2022 Enterprise
• SQL Server 2022 Standard
• SQL Server 2025 Developer
• SQL Server 2025 Enterprise
• SQL Server 2025 Express
• SQL Server 2025 Standard

Use cases

• Development and testing: launch a Developer edition AMI to build and test applications against a hardened SQL Server with per-instance credentials and forced TLS, ideal for CI/CD pipelines where each test run starts a fresh instance with its own unique credentials.
• Lightweight workloads: use Express edition for small applications, internal tools, or proof-of-concept deployments where a no-cost SQL Server with hardened defaults reduces setup effort.
• Production databases (BYOL): deploy Standard or Enterprise edition for transaction processing, reporting, or data-warehouse workloads that need SQL Server core licensing. The hardened baseline and per-instance sa password mean no instance starts with a shared or default credential.

Network and access defaults

• Port 1433 is not exposed to the internet by default.
• SQL Server listens on localhost only: reach it through an SSH tunnel, or remotely after you change its listen address and allow port 1433 from trusted networks in your security group (see the guide).
• This network-access model keeps the database surface area minimal and follows least-privilege connectivity practice.

Getting started

1. Choose the SQL Server release and edition from the Software version dropdown, then launch the AMI on your preferred EC2 instance type.

2. SSH into the instance with your EC2 key pair.

3. Retrieve the generated sa password from the root-only file on the instance.

4. Connect your SQL client through an SSH tunnel to localhost:1433, or remotely after changing the listen address as the guide shows.

5. Authenticate as sa with the unique password and start working with SQL Server.

For detailed post-launch guidance or help with your deployment, contact cloudimg support.

Licensing

No Microsoft SQL Server licence is included. Express and Developer are free under Microsoft's licence terms (Developer is for development and test only, never production). Standard and Enterprise versions are Bring Your Own License (BYOL): you must hold SQL Server core licences with Software Assurance and License Mobility for shared-tenancy EC2.

This listing is a collection of separate AMIs, one per release and edition, chosen from the Software version dropdown at launch.

Support

cloudimg provides 24/7 technical support for every version in this listing by email and live chat, 365 days a year, with a 24-hour response SLA: support@cloudimg.co.uk. Reach the team to discuss your deployment requirements, request a walkthrough of the first-boot process, or get help connecting to SQL Server.

Trademarks

Microsoft and SQL Server are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Ubuntu is a registered trademark of Canonical Ltd. cloudimg is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft or Canonical.