Home > IT Answers > Security > SQL Server and AntiVirus
Rick Martinez
585 pts.
 SQL Server and AntiVirus
Antivirus, SQL Server, SQL Server 2008, SQL Server security, Windows Server 2003
We have many sql server running on seperate boxes, the Network team wants to install antivirus software on all the sql servers. Is that a good idea? Why?



Software/Hardware used:
sql server 2008, windows server 2003
ASKED: February 18, 2011  4:46 PM
UPDATED: March 2, 2011  11:28 PM
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Every progam I've ever seen that uses SQL recommends that you exclude their program directories. But you should definitely install antivirus software on it. You're SQL server is for sure one system you wouldn't want to have infected with a network virus, so make sure you keep it protected.
Last Wiki Answer Submitted:  February 19, 2011  5:54 am  by  Ingram87   1,285 pts.
All Answer Wiki Contributors:  Ingram87   1,285 pts.
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I think it is a good idea as long as the directories where the datafiles reside are excluded from the scans.

But I’m not a SQL Server expert…

carlosdl
 63,580 pts.
 

for my side, I exclude the folders that holds the SQL data. if you are scanning the data and it is being accessed, there will be bound to problems to happen.

one more thing you could do is to not allow it to take the maximum resources while scanning. this is what i implemented at my work place

jinteik
 15,610 pts.
 

Yes everyone is correct,

1. AV has to been installed for sure
2. Get all the directories that needs to be excluded from you sql admin
3. As Jinteik mentioned, also check that the AV is set so that it doesn’t take up all the resources on your server.

IceCubbe
 1,385 pts.
 

You can also exclude .mdf, .ndf, and .ldf files as long as you haven’t ever used non-standard file names. You will not want to have AV scan your db files in real-time as this will significantly hamper your db performance and if AV ever does catch something (real or not), it will veru likely corrupt your db in the process of trying to stop it from writing to disk or quarantine the file.

Hlx
 690 pts.