I think the solution is: when you specify the server, use the IP address of the SQL server, followed by a semicolon and then the port number. For example: 123.456.7.8; 190365 If you still get the message, then your Mac is being blocked by the SQL Server and needs to be added to the list of approved users, or you have the wrong port number. SQL Operations Studio is a data management tool that enables you to work with SQL Server, Azure SQL DB and SQL DW from Windows, macOS and Linux. To learn more, visit our GitHub. SQL Operations Studio was announced for Public Preview on November 15th at Connect(), and this August release is the ninth major update since the announcement.

When I graduated from college, one of the first computers I ever used was a MacIntosh. I loved the Mac, the user interface, and the overall footprint of that computer. I also started my career developing on UNIX systems with C++ and databases like Ingres. As I moved to other jobs, the PC was becoming very popular as was the Windows Operating System.

When I joined Microsoft in 1993, I would embark on a 25 year journey working only on Windows laptops and Windows Server computers. Last October we released SQL Server 2017 including support for Linux and Docker Containers. Since then, I have spent a great deal of my time talking to customers directly and at events about SQL Server on Linux.

At one of these events in February in London (you may have heard of SQLBits), I was presenting on SQL Server on Linux and someone in the audience asked me this question. 'Bob, I love what Microsoft is doing with Linux but I'm a MacBook user. I want to use my MacBook and run SQL Server on it'.

I thought for a second on this question and then came up with the idea of the 'SQL Server Mac Challenge'. I told the audience that with a reasonable internet connection, I could get any MacBook user up and running and connected to SQL Server with no Windows or Virtualization software in 5 minutes or less. The person in the audience took me up on my challenge and posted something on Twitter the next day that it worked! Given my work lately on SQL Server on Linux, I asked my manager if I could get a MacBook so I could show off SQL Server to the MacBook user community. His answer was 'of course!'

Perhaps you are reading this and think this must be the Twilight Zone. Does this guy still work for Microsoft? So here in this blog post, I will show you my journey in taking the SQL Server Mac Challenge. I'm happy to tell you it took only 4 minutes on my MacBook Pro. First, you need to download Docker for Mac as seen on this screenshot of the website to download () The download is not too large and didn't take long on my internet connection.