# Create a SQL Server (Debezium) Source Connector > For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/llms.txt). Component-specific: [cloud-data-platform-full.txt](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform-full.txt) --- title: Create a SQL Server (Debezium) Source Connector latest-operator-version: v26.1.4 latest-console-tag: v3.7.3 latest-connect-version: 4.93.0 latest-redpanda-tag: v26.1.9 docname: managed-connectors/create-sqlserver-connector page-component-name: cloud-data-platform page-version: master page-component-version: master page-component-title: Cloud page-relative-src-path: managed-connectors/create-sqlserver-connector.adoc page-edit-url: https://github.com/redpanda-data/cloud-docs/edit/main/modules/develop/pages/managed-connectors/create-sqlserver-connector.adoc description: Use the Redpanda Cloud UI to create a SQL Server (Debezium) Source Connector. page-git-created-date: "2024-10-03" page-git-modified-date: "2025-08-05" --- > ❗ **IMPORTANT** > > - To enable this feature, contact [Redpanda Support](https://support.redpanda.com/hc/en-us/requests/new). To disable this feature, see [Disable Kafka Connect](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/develop/managed-connectors/disable-kc/). > > - Redpanda Support does not manage or monitor Kafka Connect. For fully-supported connectors, consider [Redpanda Connect](https://docs.redpanda.com/cloud-data-platform/develop/connect/about/). > > - When Kafka Connect is enabled, there is a dedicated node running even when no connectors are deployed. You can use an SQL Server (Debezium) Source connector to import updates to Redpanda from SQL Server. ## [](#prerequisites)Prerequisites Before you can create an SQL Server (Debezium) Source connector in the Redpanda Cloud, you must: - Make the SQL Server (Debezium) database accessible from the connector instance. - Create a SQL Server (Debezium) user with the necessary permissions. ## [](#limitations)Limitations The SQL Server (Debezium) Source connector has the following limitations: - Only `JSON`, `CloudEvents` or `AVRO` formats can be used for a Kafka message key and value format. - SQL Server (Debezium) connector can work with only a single task at a time per database name. ## [](#create-an-sql-server-debezium-source-connector)Create an SQL Server (Debezium) Source connector To create the SQL Server (Debezium) Source connector: 1. In Redpanda Cloud, click **Connectors** in the navigation menu, and then click **Create Connector**. 2. Select **Import from SQL Server (Debezium)**. 3. On the **Create Connector** page, specify the following required connector configuration options: | Property name | Property key | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | Topic prefix | topic.prefix | A topic prefix that identifies and provides a namespace for the particular database server/cluster that is capturing changes. The topic prefix should be unique across all other connectors because it is used as a prefix for all Kafka topic names that receive events emitted by this connector. Only alphanumeric characters, hyphens, dots, and underscores are accepted. | | Hostname | database.hostname | A resolvable hostname or IP address of the SQL Server database server. | | Port | database.port | Integer port number of the SQL Server database server. | | User | database.user | Name of the SQL Server user to be used when connecting to the SQL Server database. | | Password | database.password | The password of the SQL Server database user who will be connecting to the SQL Server database. | | Database instance | database.instance | Specifies the instance name of the SQL Server named instance. If both database.port and database.instance are specified, database.instance is ignored. | | Databases | database.names | The comma-separated list of the SQL Server database names from which to stream the changes. | | Kafka message key format | key.converter | Format of the key in the Redpanda topic. | | Message key JSON contains schema | key.converter.schemas.enable | Enable to specify that the message key contains schema in the schema field. | | Kafka message value format | value.converter | Format of the value in the Redpanda topic. | | Message value JSON contains schema | value.converter.schemas.enable | Enable to specify that the message value contains schema in the schema field. | | Max tasks | tasks.max | The maximum number of tasks that the connector can use to capture data from the database instance. If the Databases list contains more than one element, you can increase the value of this property to a number less than or equal to the number of elements in the list. Default: 1 | | Connector name | name | Globally-unique name to use for this connector. | 4. Click **Next**. Review the connector properties specified, then click **Create**. ## [](#map-data)Map data Use the appropriate key or value converter (input data format) for your data as follows: - Use the `Include Schemas`, `Include Tables`, and `Include Columns` properties to define lists of columns, tables, and schemas to read from. Alternatively, use `Exclude Schemas`, `Exclude Tables`, and `Exclude Columns` to define lists of columns, tables, and schemas to exclude from sources list. - Use only `JSON` (`org.apache.kafka.connect.json.JsonConverter`), `AVRO` (`io.confluent.connect.avro.AvroConverter`), and `CloudEvents` (`io.debezium.converters.CloudEventsConverter`) formats for the Kafka message key and value format. ## [](#test-the-connection)Test the connection After the connector is created: 1. Open Redpanda Console, click the **Topics** tab, and select a topic. Check to confirm that it contains data migrated from SQL Server. Alternatively, run `rpk consume` to check the topic. 2. Click the **Connectors** tab to confirm that no issues have been reported for the connector. ## [](#suggested-reading)Suggested reading - [Debezium connector for SQL Server](https://debezium.io/documentation/reference/stable/connectors/sqlserver.html)