Dockerizing SQL Server with Pre-Restored Databases

Docker is a tool for creating lightweight, portable containers that run services in isolated environments. This process involves creating a custom Docker image for SQL Server with a pre-restored database, which is useful for testing, automated testing in CI/CD pipelines, development environments, and scenarios where consistent data and easy database resets are needed. To create a custom SQL Server Docker image, several steps are required, including creating a database backup file, writing a Dockerfile, creating a database restore script, setting up secrets for the build, building the Docker image, and running a container from the image. The Dockerfile defines the Docker image setup, including the base image, environment variables, and commands to copy files, set permissions, and restore the database. The database restore script is used to restore the database from the backup file during the build process. To securely pass the SA_PASSWORD for SQL Server, Docker BuildKit secrets are used, which ensures the password is only accessible during the build process and is not stored in the final image layers. Once the Docker image is built, a container can be run using the image, and SQL Server can be accessed on the specified port. The restored database can then be accessed from SQL Server Management Studio using the specified server name, authentication, and login credentials. The process involves several files, including the Dockerfile, the database backup file, the database restore script, and the secret file containing the SA_PASSWORD. The Docker image can be built and run using various commands, including docker build and docker run. The final result is a custom Docker image with a pre-restored database, which can be used for various purposes, including testing, development, and deployment.