---
title: "SQL Server Data Source Template"
slug: "sql-server-data-source-template"
updated: 2026-04-08T18:48:59Z
published: 2026-04-08T18:48:59Z
canonical: "docs.validatar.com/sql-server-data-source-template"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.validatar.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SQL Server Data Source Template

## 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)

## Related Articles

- [What Is a Data Source Template?](/docs/what-is-a-data-source-template-overview)
- [Metadata Ingestion Scripts — SQL Templates](/docs/metadata-ingestion-scripts-sql-templates)
- [Profiling Configuration — SQL Templates](/docs/profiling-configuration-sql-templates)