Microsoft.Data.SqlClient 7.1.0

Microsoft.Data.SqlClient

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Description

Microsoft.Data.SqlClient is the official .NET data provider for Microsoft SQL Server and Azure SQL databases. It provides access to SQL Server and encapsulates database-specific protocols, including Tabular Data Stream (TDS).

This library grew from a union of the two System.Data.SqlClient components which live independently in .NET and .NET Framework. Going forward, support for new SQL Server and Azure SQL features will only be implemented in Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.

Supportability

This package supports:

  • .NET Framework 4.6.2+
  • .NET 8.0+

Installation

Install the package via NuGet:

dotnet add package Microsoft.Data.SqlClient

Or via the Package Manager Console:

Install-Package Microsoft.Data.SqlClient

Getting Started

Basic Connection

using Microsoft.Data.SqlClient;

var connectionString = "Server=myserver;Database=mydb;Integrated Security=true;";

using var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString);
await connection.OpenAsync();

Console.WriteLine("Connected successfully!");

Connecting to Azure

Starting with v7.0, to use Entra ID authentication modes (such as Active Directory Default, Active Directory Managed Identity, Active Directory Interactive, etc.) via connection string keywords, install the Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions.Azure extension package via NuGet:

dotnet add package Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions.Azure

Or via the Package Manager Console:

Install-Package Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions.Azure

This package provides the ActiveDirectoryAuthenticationProvider, which integrates with Azure.Identity to handle token acquisition, caching, and credential management.

With this package reference, you can continue to use Entra ID authentication modes directly in your connection string:

// Active Directory Default — uses DefaultAzureCredential (Managed Identity, Azure CLI, Visual Studio, etc.)
var connectionString = "Server=myserver.database.windows.net;Database=mydb;Authentication=Active Directory Default;";

using var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString);
await connection.OpenAsync();

Execute a Query

using Microsoft.Data.SqlClient;

var connectionString = "Server=myserver;Database=mydb;Integrated Security=true;";

using var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString);
await connection.OpenAsync();

using var command = new SqlCommand("SELECT Id, Name FROM Customers", connection);
using var reader = await command.ExecuteReaderAsync();

while (await reader.ReadAsync())
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Id: {reader.GetInt32(0)}, Name: {reader.GetString(1)}");
}

Parameterized Query

using Microsoft.Data.SqlClient;

var connectionString = "Server=myserver;Database=mydb;Integrated Security=true;";

using var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString);
await connection.OpenAsync();

using var command = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Customers WHERE Id = @id", connection);
command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@id", customerId);

using var reader = await command.ExecuteReaderAsync();
// Process results...

Using Transactions

using Microsoft.Data.SqlClient;

using var connection = new SqlConnection(connectionString);
await connection.OpenAsync();

using var transaction = connection.BeginTransaction();

try
{
    using var command = new SqlCommand("INSERT INTO Orders (CustomerId, Total) VALUES (@customerId, @total)", connection, transaction);
    command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@customerId", customerId);
    command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@total", orderTotal);
    
    await command.ExecuteNonQueryAsync();
    await transaction.CommitAsync();
}
catch
{
    await transaction.RollbackAsync();
    throw;
}

Key Features

Feature Description
Cross-Platform Runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS
Entra ID Authentication Multiple Entra ID authentication modes
Always Encrypted Client-side encryption for sensitive data
Connection Pooling Efficient connection management
TLS 1.3 Support Enhanced security with strict encryption mode
MARS Multiple Active Result Sets on a single connection
Async Programming Full async/await support
SqlBatch Batch multiple commands for improved performance
JSON/Vector Support Native support for JSON and Vector data types (SQL Server 2025+)

Commonly Used Types

Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataReader
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameter
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlTransaction
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlException
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlParameterCollection
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlClientFactory
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlBulkCopy
Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnectionStringBuilder

Authentication Methods

Method Connection String
SQL Server Authentication User ID=user;Password=pass;
Windows Authentication Integrated Security=true;
Entra ID Password (deprecated) Authentication=Active Directory Password;User ID=user;Password=pass;
Entra ID Integrated Authentication=Active Directory Integrated;
Entra ID Interactive Authentication=Active Directory Interactive;
Entra ID Managed Identity Authentication=Active Directory Managed Identity;
Entra ID Service Principal Authentication=Active Directory Service Principal;User ID=clientId;Password=clientSecret;
Entra ID Default Authentication=Active Directory Default;
Entra ID Workload Identity Authentication=Active Directory Workload Identity;User ID=clientId;

Note: To use Entra ID authentication modes (such as Active Directory Default, Active Directory Managed Identity, Active Directory Interactive, etc.) via connection string keywords, install the Microsoft.Data.SqlClient.Extensions.Azure extension package.

Encryption Modes

Mode Description
Encrypt=Optional Encryption is used if available
Encrypt=Mandatory Encryption is required (default)
Encrypt=Strict TDS 8.0 with TLS 1.3 support

SNI (SQL Server Network Interface)

Two implementations are available:

Documentation

Release Notes

Release notes are available at: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2090501

Migrating from System.Data.SqlClient

If you're migrating from System.Data.SqlClient, see the porting cheat sheet for guidance.

Key changes:

  1. Change namespace from System.Data.SqlClient to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient
  2. Update package reference to Microsoft.Data.SqlClient
  3. Review connection string defaults (e.g., Encrypt=Mandatory is now the default)

License

This package is licensed under the MIT License.

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https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2090501

.NET Framework 4.6.2

.NET 9.0

.NET Standard 2.0

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