Question

My environment:
– Windows Server 2008 R2.
– Apache Webserver.
– PHP 5.4.7

I’ve just downloaded and installed Microsoft Drivers 3.0 for PHP for SQL Server.
I’ve included “php_pdo_sqlsrv_54_ts.dll” into php.

Microsoft has included a helpful chm file with the drivers (SQLSRV_Help.chm).

In this help file there is a PDO example using windows authentication:

/* Connect using Windows Authentication. */
try {
  $conn = new PDO("sqlsrv:server=$serverName ; Database=AdventureWorks", "", "");
  $conn->setAttribute( PDO::ATTR ERRMOE, PDO::ERRMODE EXCEPTION );
}

But I have to connect to our MS SQL Server 2008 R2 using SQL Server Authentication!

What is the difference is between connecting to SQL Server

1. using PDO and Windows Authentication
2. using PDO and SQL Server Authentication

Is it just the connect string? Do I have to write:

$conn = new PDO("sqlsrv:server=$serverName; Database=AdventureWorks; UID=sa; PWD=abc");

or do I have to write:

$conn = new PDO("sqlsrv:server=$serverName; Database=AdventureWorks; User Id=sa; password=abc");

Thanks in advance

Update:

I found a resoure:

http://www.connectionstrings.com/sql-server-2008

Answer 1

There are optional second and third parameter in the constructor which specify the username and password as described here:

PDO::__construct

Creates a connection to a SQL Server database.

Syntax PDO::__construct($dsn [,$username [,$password
[,$driver_options ]]] )

Parameters

$dsn: A string that contains the prefix name (always sqlsrv), a colon,
and the Server keyword. For example “sqlsrv:server=(local)”. You can
optionally specify other connection keywords. See Connection Options
for a description of the Server keyword and the other connection
keywords. The entire $dsn is in quotation marks, so each connection
keyword should not be individually quoted.

$username: Optional. A string that contains the user’s name. To
connect using SQL Server Authentication, specify the login ID. To
connect using Windows Authentication, specify “”.

$password: Optional. A string that contains the user’s password. To
connect using SQL Server Authentication, specify the password. To
connect using Windows Authentication, specify “”.

[…]

This implies that you can connect to SQL Server using PDO + SQL authentication like this:

$conn = new PDO(
    "sqlsrv:server=$serverName ; Database=AdventureWorks",
    "sa",
    "strong password"
);

The connection options section also mentions that you cannot use UID and PWD parameters in connection strings when using PDO_SQLSRV.