We plan to have an MBAM database server and monitoring server. Do I have to have SQL installed on the MBAM database server or can I just install the three components (Compliance and Audit Reports Server, Recovery and Hardware Database Server, and Compliance Status Database Server) on a Windows 2008R2 server and point them to another server that has SQL on it and hosts numerous other SQL databases? My concern is that the local permission groups created by the MBAM install need to be on the server that actually has SQL installed and that the MBAM databases need to be controlled by that same SQL install. The other concern is if we do need to install MBAM on the server that hosts the SQL software then we probably don't want to install MBAM components on a server that has several other databases/functions. Is that a valid concern? Phil O'Keeffe

Hi, Due to the question is related to Windows Server and here is Windows Client Forum, it is recommended to repost the thread in Windows Server Forums. Regards. Jeremy Wu TechNet Community Support

Phil, For MBAM Recovery & Hardware DB and Compliance DB you require SQL Server installed on same box where you will run MBAM Setup. For MBAM Admin & Monitoring Server you require IIS components installed. Now you can install MBAM on a single server which has IIS and SQL server installed. Supported SQL Version: SQL Server 2008 with SP2 or above OR SQL 2008 R2 You will have to use SQL Enterprise, Developer or Datacenter SKU for SQL so that we can use TDE feature of SQL to encrypt DB by a password or certificate. You cannot install MBAM DB on a remote SQL server. MBAM setup pre-requisites check will check for SQL instance on the same box where you executed the setup. You can create a seperate instance of SQL for MBAM and then use that. http://blogs.technet.com/b/askcore/archive/2011/07/27/mbam-setup-fails-with-sql-error-error-obtaining-a-certificate-protected-by-the-master-key.aspx MBAM TechNet Guides: Planning Guide: http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/mdop/hh285653.aspx Deployment Guide: http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/mdop/hh285644.aspx Operations Guide: http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/mdop/hh285664.aspx Troubleshooting MBAM: http://onlinehelp.microsoft.com/en-us/mdop/hh352745.aspx Manoj Sehgal

Thanks Manoj - that's exactly what I needed to know. It's especially good to know that in smaller environments we can use a single server now. This particular customer only has 400 clients so 2+ servers is probably overkill. Phil O'Keeffe

Thanks Manoj - that's exactly what I needed to know. It's especially good to know that in smaller environments we can use a single server now. This particular customer only has 400 clients so 2+ servers is probably overkill. Phil O'Keeffe hi Manoj, i try to install all the MBAM roles in sinlge server and database is the seperate instance on another existing sql server., i cant use new sql server since company policy., here i face challange while installing the mbam tool as beloe, while going to second next, getting the below error. Please suggest the best way to use / step to verify before installing this tool as sql instance from another live sql server.. thanks Sakthivel