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Early Alpha • Limited Access
/solutions/ ❯ mssql-on-kubernetes

Run Microsoft SQL Server
on Kubernetes. For Real.

Break free from Windows-only licensing traps and cloud vendor lock-in. Solanica Platform brings production-grade MSSQL to any Kubernetes cluster — with automated Day-2 operations, built on OpenEverest.

Join the Alpha Program → See the Numbers ↓
KUBERNETES CLUSTER · any cloud / on-prem SOLANICA PLATFORM · based on OpenEverest Solanica Operator reconciles state · runs failover SQL Server 2022 · Linux container PRIMARY ▤ PVC · fast-ssd SQL Server 2022 · Linux container STANDBY ▤ PVC · fast-ssd ALWAYS-ON AG
Up to 60% TCO reduction vs. Azure SQL
No vendor lock-in — run anywhere
Automated Day-2 operations
$ kubectl get pods -l app=mssql | wc -l

The Real Cost of Running MSSQL

Microsoft SQL Server licensing on managed cloud services is a margin machine — for the cloud provider. Here's what happens when you take control.

● SCENARIO: AZURE_SQL_MANAGED

Azure SQL Managed Instance

Typical enterprise setup — 16 vCores, 64 GB RAM, 1 TB storage, HA enabled

Compute (General Purpose) $2,880/mo
SQL Server License (included) $1,920/mo
Storage (1 TB Premium) $460/mo
HA Replica $2,400/mo
Backup Storage $230/mo
Monitoring & Insights $150/mo
Monthly Total ~$8,040/mo
Annual Total ~$96,480/yr
Prices based on Azure East US region, pay-as-you-go. Actual costs may vary.
● SCENARIO: SOLANICA_K8S

MSSQL on Kubernetes + Solanica

Same specs — 16 vCPU, 64 GB RAM, 1 TB NVMe, HA with auto-failover

Compute (K8s worker nodes) $960/mo
SQL Server License (BYOL / Dev) $420/mo
Storage (CSI NVMe) $180/mo
HA Replica (same cluster) $640/mo
Backup (S3-compatible) $45/mo
Solanica Platform License $500/mo
Monthly Total ~$2,745/mo
Annual Total ~$32,940/yr
$ 66% TCO Reduction — Save ~$63,540/yr
WHERE_THE_SAVINGS_COME_FROM
BYOL Licensing
Bring your existing SQL Server licenses or use Developer Edition for non-prod. Avoid the cloud markup on licensing that can be 2-4x retail.
Up to 70% on license costs
Right-Sized Compute
Kubernetes lets you allocate exactly the CPU and memory your MSSQL instances need. No paying for fixed tiers. VPA adjusts resources in real time.
40-60% on compute
Flexible Storage
Use CSI drivers to mount NVMe, local SSD, or network storage. Stop paying premium IOPS rates when your workload doesn't need them 24/7.
50-70% on storage
Scale-to-Zero Dev/Test
Non-production MSSQL instances hibernate when idle. No more paying for dev databases that sit unused 16 hours a day.
80% on non-prod environments
Calculate your savings with us →
NOTE: All figures are estimates based on publicly available pricing as of March 2026. Actual savings depend on workload, region, and licensing agreements. We recommend running a detailed TCO analysis for your specific environment.
$ helm install mssql --set cloud=any

Escape the Vendor Lock-In Trap

Azure SQL, AWS RDS for SQL Server, Google Cloud SQL — they all want you locked into their ecosystem. Solanica gives you MSSQL that runs identically everywhere.

VENDOR LOCKED Azure SQL MI Azure-only APIs RDS SQL AWS-only APIs Proprietary backup format Vendor-specific HA plumbing Non-portable monitoring Locked pricing tiers Exit cost: $50K–$500K+ 3–12 months of migration work CLOUD PORTABLE AKS Azure EKS AWS GKE Google · on-prem Standard Kubernetes APIs S3-compatible backups you own Prometheus + Grafana metrics Identical manifests everywhere Exit cost: kubectl apply Same YAML, any cluster
● MULTI_CLOUD

Run Anywhere Kubernetes Runs

AKS, EKS, GKE, on-prem (OpenShift, Rancher, vanilla K8s) — your MSSQL deployment is the same YAML manifest. Switch clouds without rewriting a single line of application code or ops tooling.

▸ Same Helm chart across all environments
▸ Disaster recovery across cloud providers
▸ Cloud negotiation leverage
● DATA_SOVEREIGNTY

Own Your Data Stack

No proprietary backup formats. No vendor-specific monitoring APIs. Your backups go to S3-compatible storage you control. Your metrics flow to standard Prometheus. Your data stays sovereign.

▸ S3-compatible backups (MinIO, Ceph, AWS S3)
▸ Prometheus + Grafana monitoring
▸ Standard SQL Server native tools
● LICENSE_FLEXIBILITY

Your License, Your Terms

Bring your own SQL Server licenses through Software Assurance, use Developer Edition for non-prod, or run SQL Server Express for lightweight workloads. You choose the licensing model that makes financial sense.

▸ BYOL through Software Assurance
▸ Developer Edition for dev/test (free)
▸ Express Edition for lightweight use
● OPEN_STANDARDS

Built on Open Source

Solanica Platform is powered by OpenEverest — open-source Kubernetes operators for databases. No black boxes. Audit the code, fork it, contribute to it. Your infrastructure runs on standards, not SaaS lock-in.

▸ OpenEverest: fully open-source operator
▸ Kubernetes-native CRDs
▸ Community-driven roadmap
$ kubectl apply -f instance.yaml

How It Works Under the Hood

You submit a single, high-level Instance to OpenEverest — it references the mssql provider. That provider expands your request into the low-level SQL Server resources and reconciles them into a self-healing deployment — all inside your own Kubernetes cluster. No manual intervention, no scripts duct-taped together.

kubectl · Helm · GitOps You declare the database you want KUBERNETES CLUSTER · any cloud / on-prem SOLANICA PLATFORM · powered by OpenEverest OPENEVEREST API · core.openeverest.io/v1alpha1 Instance Provider mssql provider part of OpenEverest · reconciles your Instance MSSQL RESOURCES · created by the provider, managed by the operator MSSQLInstance MSSQLAvailabilityGroup MSSQLBackup · … mssql-0 PRIMARY SQL Server sidecars ▤ PVC: data · log · tempdb mssql-1 STANDBY SQL Server sidecars ▤ PVC: data · log · tempdb AG Endpoints Backups → S3 Prometheus metrics TLS client access ↻ Continuous reconciliation — self-healing on drift, pod loss, or config change desired state == actual state, always
// the operator handles Day-2 for you
Automated failover Backup & restore Rolling upgrades Scale up & out Self-healing Certificate rotation
$ cat /etc/solanica/features.yaml

Enterprise Features, Kubernetes Native

Everything you expect from a managed SQL Server service — without the managed service price tag or the vendor handcuffs.

Early Alpha — Feature Roadmap

MSSQL on Kubernetes is currently in early alpha. Features marked with ALPHA are available today. Features marked with PLANNED are on our near-term roadmap. Your feedback shapes what ships next.

High Availability

ALPHA

Always-On Availability Groups managed by the operator. Automatic failover with sub-30-second recovery. Zero data loss in synchronous mode.

✓ Synchronous & async AG modes
✓ Automatic primary election
✓ K8s Service-based endpoint routing

Backup & Restore

ALPHA

Scheduled full and differential backups to S3-compatible storage. Point-in-time recovery. Encrypted and compressed by default.

✓ Automated backup schedules (cron)
✓ S3/MinIO/GCS backup targets
✓ Point-in-time restore (PITR)

Monitoring & Alerting

ALPHA

Built-in Prometheus exporter for SQL Server metrics. Pre-configured Grafana dashboards. Alertmanager rules for critical database events.

✓ MSSQL-specific Prometheus metrics
✓ Pre-built Grafana dashboards
✓ Alert rules for replication lag, CPU, I/O

Security & Encryption

ALPHA

TLS encryption for all connections. Kubernetes RBAC integration. Namespace isolation. Secrets management via Kubernetes Secrets or external vaults.

✓ TLS 1.3 for all connections
✓ K8s RBAC & NetworkPolicy
✓ Vault integration for credentials

TDE Key Management

PLANNED

Transparent Data Encryption with automated key rotation. Integration with HashiCorp Vault, AWS KMS, and Azure Key Vault for enterprise key management.

○ Automated TDE key rotation
○ External KMS integration
○ Compliance-ready audit trails

Performance Auto-Tuning

PLANNED

AI-powered query analysis and automatic index recommendations via Solanica AI Copilot integration. Automatic tempdb configuration and memory optimization.

○ AI Copilot index suggestions
○ Automatic tempdb optimization
○ Query Store analysis & recommendations
$ solanica onboard --mode=guided

From Pilot to Production,
Without the Guesswork

You don't have to figure out SQL Server on Kubernetes alone. Our team runs the journey with you — from a first cost model to a production rollout your auditors will sign off on.

01

Discovery & TCO

We map your current SQL Server estate and licensing, then model your real savings on Kubernetes — no spreadsheets-in-the-dark.

Days, not months
02

Guided Pilot

Deploy on your own cluster, migrate a real workload, and prove out HA failover, backups, and monitoring against your SLAs.

Your infra, your data
03

Production Rollout

Go live with a repeatable GitOps blueprint and expert support beside you — plus alpha pricing locked in as you scale.

Repeatable & owned by you
◇
Open-source core
Built on OpenEverest — audit it, fork it, keep it.
⬡
Runs on your infrastructure
Your cluster, your cloud, your data residency.
◈
Expert support
Direct access to the engineers building it.
▲
No lock-in, ever
Standard Kubernetes, S3, and Prometheus.

Early access - Alpha feature
Ready to Run MSSQL on Your Terms?

Join the alpha program and get early access to Solanica Platform for MSSQL. Help us to help you to reduce TCO.
Book a meeting
Don't want to wait and ready to talk?
Book a meeting with a team.

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