SQL Server Data Source Template

  • Published on Apr 8, 2026
  • 1 minute(s) read
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Overview

The SQL Server data source template is a built-in SQL template for Microsoft SQL Server connections. It provides metadata ingestion scripts that query SQL Server's system catalog views (sys.schemas, sys.objects, sys.columns, sys.types), complete data type mappings for SQL Server's extensive type system, and standard profiling definitions.

Platform: Microsoft SQL Server (2016+)
Connection Category: Database
Template Category: Built-in

What's Included

Connection Configuration

  • Supports SQL Server native and ODBC connections
  • Identifier delimiters: [ / ]

Data Type Mappings

Includes mappings for all standard SQL Server data types:

  • String types: varchar, nvarchar, char, nchar, text, ntext
  • Numeric types: int, bigint, smallint, tinyint, decimal, numeric, float, real, money, smallmoney
  • Date/time types: date, datetime, datetime2, smalldatetime, datetimeoffset, time
  • Boolean: bit
  • Binary: varbinary, binary, image
  • Other: xml, uniqueidentifier, sql_variant, geography, geometry, hierarchyid

Metadata Ingestion

Schema Level

Queries sys.schemas to discover schemas, excluding system schemas (sys, INFORMATION_SCHEMA, guest).

Table Level

Queries sys.objects joined with sys.schemas to discover tables (type = 'U') and views (type = 'V').

Column Level

Queries sys.columns joined with sys.types to discover columns with data types, nullability, precision, and scale.

Tip: SQL Server's sys.* views are generally faster than INFORMATION_SCHEMA views for large databases. The built-in template uses the sys.* catalog for better performance.

Profiling

Includes the standard set of ~40 profile definitions using T-SQL compatible expressions.

Macros

Installation

The SQL Server template ships with Validatar — no import required.

Customization

Common customizations:

  • Schema filters — Exclude application-specific schemas or include only specific ones
  • Compatibility level — Adjust for older SQL Server versions that may not support newer functions
  • Linked servers — Modify ingestion scripts to discover metadata across linked servers
  • Custom macros — Add macros for T-SQL specific patterns (e.g., MERGE statements, temporal table queries)

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