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Enable Microsoft Defender for SQL Servers on Machines at scale

Microsoft Defender for Cloud's SQL Servers on Machines component of the Defender for Databases plan protects SQL IaaS and Defender for SQL extensions. This component identifies and mitigates potential database vulnerabilities and detects anomalous activity that could indicate threats to your databases.

When you enable the SQL Servers on Machines component of the Defender for Databases plan, auto-provisioning starts. Auto-provisioning installs and configures the required components, including the Azure Monitor Agent (AMA), SQL IaaS extension, and Defender for SQL extensions. It also configures the workspace, Data Collection Rules (DCRs), and identity when needed.

This article explains how to enable auto-provisioning for Defender for SQL across multiple subscriptions by using a PowerShell script. This process applies to SQL servers hosted on Azure Virtual Machines (VMs), on-premises environments, and Azure Arc-enabled SQL servers. It also covers optional configurations such as:

  • custom data collection rules
  • custom identity management
  • default workspace integration
  • custom workspace configuration

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

PowerShell script parameters and samples

The PowerShell script that enables Microsoft Defender for SQL on Machines on a given subscription has several parameters that you can customize to fit your needs. The following table lists the parameters and their descriptions:

Parameter name Required Description
SubscriptionId Required The Azure subscription ID that you want to enable Defender for SQL Servers on Machines for.
RegisterSqlVmAgnet Required A flag indicating whether to register the SQL VM Agent in bulk. This parameter name matches the current upstream script.

You can register multiple SQL VMs in Azure with the SQL IaaS Agent extension in bulk. For details, see Register multiple SQL VMs with SQL IaaS Agent extension.
WorkspaceResourceId Optional The resource ID of the Log Analytics workspace, if you want to use a custom workspace instead of the default one.
DataCollectionRuleResourceId Optional The resource ID of the data collection rule, if you want to use a custom Data Collection Rule (DCR) instead of the default one.
UserAssignedIdentityResourceId Optional The resource ID of the user assigned identity, if you want to use a custom user assigned identity instead of the default one.

The following sample script is applicable when you use a default Log Analytics workspace, data collection rule, and managed identity.

Write-Host "------ Enable Defender for SQL on Machines example ------" 
$SubscriptionId = "<SubscriptionID>"
$RegisterSqlVmAgnet = $true
.\EnableDefenderForSqlOnMachines.ps1 -SubscriptionId $SubscriptionId -RegisterSqlVmAgnet $RegisterSqlVmAgnet 

The following sample script is applicable when you use a custom Log Analytics workspace, data collection rule, and managed identity.

Write-Host "------ Enable Defender for SQL on Machines example ------" 
$SubscriptionId = "<SubscriptionID>" 
$RegisterSqlVmAgnet = $false 
$WorkspaceResourceId = "/subscriptions/<SubscriptionID>/resourceGroups/someResourceGroup/providers/Microsoft.OperationalInsights/workspaces/someWorkspace" 
$DataCollectionRuleResourceId = "/subscriptions/<SubscriptionID>/resourceGroups/someOtherResourceGroup/providers/Microsoft.Insights/dataCollectionRules/someDcr" 
$UserAssignedIdentityResourceId = "/subscriptions/<SubscriptionID>/resourceGroups/someElseResourceGroup/providers/Microsoft.ManagedIdentity/userAssignedIdentities/someManagedIdentity" 
.\EnableDefenderForSqlOnMachines.ps1 -SubscriptionId $SubscriptionId -RegisterSqlVmAgnet $RegisterSqlVmAgnet -WorkspaceResourceId $WorkspaceResourceId -DataCollectionRuleResourceId $DataCollectionRuleResourceId -UserAssignedIdentityResourceId $UserAssignedIdentityResourceId

Enable Defender for SQL Servers on Machines at scale

To enable Defender for SQL Servers on Machines at scale:

  1. Open a PowerShell window.

  2. Copy the EnableDefenderForSqlOnMachines.ps1 script from the Defender for Cloud GitHub repository.

  3. Paste the script into PowerShell.

  4. Enter parameter information as needed.

  5. Run the script.

Next step