sql-server-2025

Q: How do I install sql-server-2025?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace --skill sql-server-2025 in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/sql-server-2025/ (personal) or .claude/skills/sql-server-2025/ (project).

by josiahsiegelBackend & APIs

SQL Server 2025 and SqlPackage 170.2.70 (October 2025) — vector databases, AI integration, and modern features. PROACTIVELY activate for: (1) SQL Server 2025 features, (2) vector type and vector indexes for AI, (3) Vector functions (VECTORDISTANCE, etc.), (4) AI integration (Azure OpenAI, embeddings, RAG), (5) JSON type and JSONARRAYAGG, (6) parameter sensitivity plan optimization, (7) SqlPackage 170.2.70 new features and switches, (8) Always Encrypted with secure enclaves on 2025, (9) ledger tables, (10) Azure Arc-enabled SQL Server. Provides: SQL 2025 changelog, vector type usage, AI integration patterns, SqlPackage 170.2.70 reference, and migration guidance.

Installs: 255
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Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace --skill sql-server-2025

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads sql-server-2025 automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

🚨 CRITICAL GUIDELINES

Windows File Path Requirements

MANDATORY: Always Use Backslashes on Windows for File Paths

When using Edit or Write tools on Windows, you MUST use backslashes (\) in file paths, NOT forward slashes (/).

Examples:

❌ WRONG: D:/repos/project/file.tsx
✅ CORRECT: D:\repos\project\file.tsx

This applies to:

Edit tool file_path parameter
Write tool file_path parameter
All file operations on Windows systems

Documentation Guidelines

NEVER create new documentation files unless explicitly requested by the user.

Priority: Update existing README.md files rather than creating new documentation
Repository cleanliness: Keep repository root clean - only README.md unless user requests otherwise
Style: Documentation should be concise, direct, and professional - avoid AI-generated tone
User preference: Only create additional .md files when user specifically asks for documentation

SQL Server 2025 & SqlPackage 170.2.70 Support

Overview

SQL Server 2025 is the enterprise AI-ready database with native vector database capabilities, built-in AI model integration, and semantic search from ground to cloud.

SqlPackage 170.2.70 (October 14, 2025) - Latest production release with full SQL Server 2025 support, data virtualization, and parquet file enhancements.

SqlPackage 170.x Series (2025 Releases)

Latest Version: 170.2.70 (October 14, 2025)

Three major 2025 releases:

170.2.70 - October 14, 2025 (Current)
170.1.61 - July 30, 2025 (Data virtualization)
170.0.94 - April 15, 2025 (SQL Server 2025 initial support)

Key 2025 Features

Data Virtualization (170.1.61+):

Support for Azure SQL Database data virtualization objects
Import/export/extract/publish operations for external data sources
Parquet file support for Azure SQL Database with Azure Blob Storage
Automatic fallback to BCP for CLR types and LOBs > 1MB

New Data Types:

VECTOR - Up to 3,996 dimensions with half-precision (2-byte) floating-point
JSON - Native JSON data type for Azure SQL Database

New Permissions (170.0+):

ALTER ANY INFORMATION PROTECTION - SQL Server 2025 & Azure SQL
ALTER ANY EXTERNAL MIRROR - Azure SQL & SQL database in Fabric
CREATE/ALTER ANY EXTERNAL MODEL - AI/ML model management

Deployment Options:

/p:IgnorePreDeployScript=True/False - Skip pre-deployment scripts
/p:IgnorePostDeployScript=True/False - Skip post-deployment scripts

SqlPackage Commands

# Publish to SQL Server 2025
sqlpackage /Action:Publish \
  /SourceFile:Database.dacpac \
  /TargetServerName:server2025.database.windows.net \
  /TargetDatabaseName:MyDatabase \
  /TargetDatabaseEdition:Premium \
  /p:TargetPlatform=SqlServer2025  # New target platform

# Extract from SQL Server 2025
sqlpackage /Action:Extract \
  /SourceServerName:server2025.database.windows.net \
  /SourceDatabaseName:MyDatabase \
  /TargetFile:Database.dacpac \
  /p:ExtractAllTableData=False \
  /p:VerifyExtraction=True

# Export with SQL Server 2025 features
sqlpackage /Action:Export \
  /SourceServerName:server2025.database.windows.net \
  /SourceDatabaseName:MyDatabase \
  /TargetFile:Database.bacpac

ScriptDom Version 170.0.64

New ScriptDom version for SQL Server 2025 syntax parsing:

// Package: Microsoft.SqlServer.TransactSql.ScriptDom 170.0.64

using Microsoft.SqlServer.TransactSql.ScriptDom;

// Parse SQL Server 2025 syntax
var parser = new TSql170Parser(true);
IList<ParseError> errors;
var fragment = parser.Parse(new StringReader(sql), out errors);

// Supports SQL Server 2025 new T-SQL features

Microsoft.Build.Sql 2.0.0 GA (2025)

MAJOR MILESTONE: Microsoft.Build.Sql SDK entered General Availability in 2025!

Latest Version: 2.0.0 (Production Ready)

Breaking Change from Preview:

SDK is now production-ready and recommended for all new database projects
No longer in preview status
Full cross-platform support (Windows/Linux/macOS)
Requires .NET 8+ (was .NET 6+ in preview)

SQL Server 2025 Support

Current Status: SQL Server 2025 target platform support coming in future Microsoft.Build.Sql release (post-2.0.0).

Workaround for SDK-Style Projects:

<!-- Database.sqlproj (SDK-style with SQL Server 2025 compatibility) -->
<Project Sdk="Microsoft.Build.Sql/2.0.0">
  <PropertyGroup>
    <Name>MyDatabase</Name>
    <!-- Use SQL Server 2022 (160) provider until 2025 provider available -->
    <DSP>Microsoft.Data.Tools.Schema.Sql.Sql160DatabaseSchemaProvider</DSP>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <SqlServerVersion>Sql160</SqlServerVersion>

    <!-- SQL Server 2025 features will still work in runtime database -->
    <!-- Only build-time validation uses Sql160 provider -->
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <Folder Include="Tables\" />
    <Folder Include="Views\" />
    <Folder Include="StoredProcedures\" />
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

Visual Studio 2022 Support

Requirement: Visual Studio 2022 version 17.12 or later for SDK-style SQL projects.

Note: Side-by-side installation with original SQL projects (legacy SSDT) is NOT supported.

SQL Server 2025 Release Status

Current Status: SQL Server 2025 (17.x) is in Release Candidate (RC1) stage as of October 2025. Public preview began May 2025.

Predicted GA Date: November 12, 2025 (based on historical release patterns - SQL Server 2019: Nov 4, SQL Server 2022: Nov 16). Expected announcement at Microsoft Ignite conference (November 18-21, 2025).

Not Yet Production: SQL Server 2025 is not yet generally available. All features described are available in RC builds for testing purposes only.

SQL Server 2025 New Features

Full catalogue of engine features: native vector database (DiskANN indexing for AI / RAG workloads), JSON enhancements, regular expressions, fuzzy search, change event streaming, security and sensitivity classification, performance / Intelligent Query Processing additions, T-SQL improvements, and Always Encrypted updates lives in references/sql-server-2025-features.md. Load that reference when planning a 2025 upgrade or adopting any of those engine features in an SSDT project.

Deployment to SQL Server 2025

Using SqlPackage

# Publish with 2025 features
sqlpackage /Action:Publish \
  /SourceFile:Database.dacpac \
  /TargetConnectionString:"Server=tcp:server2025.database.windows.net;Database=MyDb;Authentication=ActiveDirectoryManagedIdentity;" \
  /p:BlockOnPossibleDataLoss=True \
  /p:IncludeCompositeObjects=True \
  /p:DropObjectsNotInSource=False \
  /p:DoNotDropObjectTypes=Users;RoleMembership \
  /p:GenerateSmartDefaults=True \
  /DiagnosticsFile:deploy.log

Using MSBuild

<!-- Database.publish.xml -->
<Project>
  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetConnectionString>Server=tcp:server2025.database.windows.net;Database=MyDb;Authentication=ActiveDirectoryManagedIdentity;</TargetConnectionString>
    <BlockOnPossibleDataLoss>True</BlockOnPossibleDataLoss>
    <TargetDatabaseName>MyDatabase</TargetDatabaseName>
    <ProfileVersionNumber>1</ProfileVersionNumber>
  </PropertyGroup>

  <ItemGroup>
    <SqlCmdVariable Include="Environment">
      <Value>Production</Value>
    </SqlCmdVariable>
  </ItemGroup>
</Project>

# Deploy using MSBuild
msbuild Database.sqlproj \
  /t:Publish \
  /p:PublishProfile=Database.publish.xml \
  /p:TargetPlatform=SqlServer2025

CI/CD Best Practices 2025

Key Principles

State-Based Deployment (Recommended):

Source code represents current database state
All objects (procedures, tables, triggers, views) in separate .sql files
SqlPackage generates incremental scripts automatically
Preferred over migration-based approaches

Testing & Quality:

tSQLt - Unit testing for SQL Server stored procedures and functions
Tests produce machine-readable results
Abort pipeline on test failure with immediate notifications
Never continue deployment if tests fail

Security:

Windows Authentication preferred for CI/CD (avoid plain text passwords)
Never commit credentials to source control
Use Azure Key Vault or GitHub Secrets for connection strings

Version Control:

All database objects in source control
Test scripts versioned and executed in Build step
Require comments on check-ins
Configure custom check-in policies

GitHub Actions (2025 Pattern)

name: Deploy to SQL Server 2025

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build-and-test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v4

    - name: Setup .NET 8
      uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v4
      with:
        dotnet-version: '8.0.x'

    - name: Install SqlPackage 170.2.70
      run: dotnet tool install -g Microsoft.SqlPackage --version 170.2.70

    - name: Build DACPAC
      run: dotnet build Database.sqlproj -c Release

    - name: Run tSQLt Unit Tests
      run: |
        # Run unit tests and capture results
        # Abort if tests fail
        echo "Running tSQLt unit tests..."
        # Add your tSQLt test execution here

    - name: Generate Deployment Report
      run: |
        sqlpackage /Action:DeployReport \
          /SourceFile:bin/Release/Database.dacpac \
          /TargetConnectionString:"${{ secrets.SQL_CONNECTION_STRING }}" \
          /OutputPath:deploy-report.xml \
          /p:BlockOnPossibleDataLoss=True

    - name: Publish to SQL Server 2025
      run: |
        sqlpackage /Action:Publish \
          /SourceFile:bin/Release/Database.dacpac \
          /TargetConnectionString:"${{ secrets.SQL_CONNECTION_STRING }}" \
          /p:TargetPlatform=SqlServer2025 \
          /p:BlockOnPossibleDataLoss=True \
          /DiagnosticsFile:publish.log \
          /DiagnosticsLevel:Verbose

    - name: Upload Artifacts
      if: always()
      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
      with:
        name: deployment-logs
        path: |
          publish.log
          deploy-report.xml

Azure DevOps

trigger:
- main

pool:
  vmImage: 'windows-2022'

steps:
- task: MSBuild@1
  displayName: 'Build Database Project'
  inputs:
    solution: 'Database.sqlproj'
    configuration: 'Release'

- task: SqlAzureDacpacDeployment@1
  displayName: 'Deploy to SQL Server 2025'
  inputs:
    azureSubscription: 'Azure Subscription'
    authenticationType: 'servicePrincipal'
    serverName: 'server2025.database.windows.net'
    databaseName: 'MyDatabase'
    deployType: 'DacpacTask'
    deploymentAction: 'Publish'
    dacpacFile: '$(Build.SourcesDirectory)/bin/Release/Database.dacpac'
    additionalArguments: '/p:TargetPlatform=SqlServer2025'

New SqlPackage Diagnostic Features

# Enable detailed diagnostics
sqlpackage /Action:Publish \
  /SourceFile:Database.dacpac \
  /TargetServerName:server2025.database.windows.net \
  /TargetDatabaseName:MyDatabase \
  /DiagnosticsLevel:Verbose \
  /DiagnosticPackageFile:diagnostics.zip

# Creates diagnostics.zip containing:
# - Deployment logs
# - Performance metrics
# - Error details
# - Schema comparison results

Microsoft Fabric Data Warehouse Support

New in SqlPackage 162.5+: Full support for SQL database in Microsoft Fabric.

Fabric Deployment:

# Deploy to Fabric Warehouse
sqlpackage /Action:Publish \
  /SourceFile:Warehouse.dacpac \
  /TargetConnectionString:"Server=tcp:myworkspace.datawarehouse.fabric.microsoft.com;Database=mywarehouse;Authentication=ActiveDirectoryInteractive;" \
  /p:DatabaseEdition=Fabric \
  /p:DatabaseServiceObjective=SqlDbFabricDatabaseSchemaProvider

# Extract from Fabric
sqlpackage /Action:Extract \
  /SourceConnectionString:"Server=tcp:myworkspace.datawarehouse.fabric.microsoft.com;Database=mywarehouse;Authentication=ActiveDirectoryInteractive;" \
  /TargetFile:Fabric.dacpac

# New permission: ALTER ANY EXTERNAL MIRROR (Fabric-specific)
GRANT ALTER ANY EXTERNAL MIRROR TO [FabricAdmin];

Best Practices for SQL Server 2025

Use Target Platform Specification:

<PropertyGroup>
  <TargetPlatform>SqlServer2025</TargetPlatform>
</PropertyGroup>

Test Vector Operations:

-- Verify vector support
SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('IsVectorSupported') AS VectorSupport;

Monitor AI Model Performance:

-- Track model execution
SELECT
    model_name,
    AVG(execution_time_ms) AS AvgExecutionTime,
    COUNT(*) AS ExecutionCount
FROM sys.dm_exec_external_model_stats
GROUP BY model_name;

Implement Sensitivity Classification:

-- Classify all PII columns
ADD SENSITIVITY CLASSIFICATION TO dbo.Customers.Email
WITH (LABEL = 'Confidential - GDPR', INFORMATION_TYPE = 'Email');

Resources

FAQ

What does the sql-server-2025 skill do?

How do I install sql-server-2025?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace --skill sql-server-2025 in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/sql-server-2025/ (personal) or .claude/skills/sql-server-2025/ (project).

Which AI agents can use sql-server-2025?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is sql-server-2025 safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains sql-server-2025?

It is published by josiahsiegel in josiahsiegel/claude-plugin-marketplace. It has 255 recorded installs.