Microsoft offers a fully functional 180-day trial of the Enterprise edition. This is perfect for proof-of-concept (POC) testing.

Note: The evaluation ISO is identical to the full ISO. After installing, you can run Setup.exe /Q /ACTION=editionupgrade with a VLSC key to convert the trial to a fully licensed production system.

When downloading SQL Server 2022, you will see various formats. Why use the ISO?

Existing SQL Server 2016–2019 users can perform an in-place upgrade using the Enterprise ISO (edition match required). Always backup databases first.

The official ISO (from MSDN/Volume Licensing) includes:

Note: SQL Server 2022 requires at least Windows Server 2019 or Windows 10/11 (64-bit only). Developer edition ISO (identical features) is free for non-production.

Would you like system requirements or licensing clarification?

If you want, I can: provide a ready-to-run PowerShell script for unattended install from the ISO (with reasonable defaults), a sample post-install T-SQL checklist, or an Always On AG step-by-step—tell me which.

  • Apply latest CUs/patches from Microsoft and Windows updates.
  • Configure Windows Firewall to allow SQL ports.
  • Configure endpoint encryption (TLS) — disable weak ciphers; install certs if using encrypted connections.
  • Enable and configure Auditing and Extended Events for monitoring.
  • Set up automated backups and test restores.
  • Configure Maintenance Plans or use Ola Hallengren scripts for backups, integrity checks, and index maintenance.
  • Configure baseline performance monitoring (PerfMon, Query Store, Extended Events) and alerts (SQLAgent operators/email).
  • Collation: choose appropriate collation (SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS is common for English apps). Change only if required.