Python: pyodbc with SQL Server

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This post is in regards to connecting to SQL Server using pyodbc.

Install package

pip install pyodbc

If you are running in Databricks then the current driver will be “{ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server}”.

If you are running in Synapse then the current driver will be “{ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server}”.

Check pyodbc Version

import pyodbc
pyodbc.drivers()

Check Which Version of pyodbc in Databricks

%sh
cat /etc/odbcinst.ini

Install Databricks driver 17

curl https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | apt-key add -
curl https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/20.04/prod.list > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mssql-release.list
apt-get update
ACCEPT_EULA=Y apt-get install msodbcsql17
apt-get -y install unixodbc-dev

Connect using SQL Auth

I do not recommend SQL Auth

import pyodbc

secret = "<GET SECRET SECURELY>"

connection = pyodbc.connect('DRIVER={ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server};Server=tcp:<SERVER_NAME>;PORT=<PORT>;Database=<DATABASE>;Uid=<USER>;Pwd=<SECRET>;Encrypt=yes;TrustServerCertificate=no;Connection Timeout=<TIMEOUT>;')

Connect Using Domain Auth

import pyodbc

secret = "<GET SECRET SECURELY>"

connection = pyodbc.connect('DRIVER={ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server};Server=tcp:<SERVER_NAME>;PORT=<PORT>;Database=<DATABASE>;Uid=<USER>;Pwd=<SECRET>;Encrypt=yes;TrustServerCertificate=no;Connection Timeout=<TIMEOUT>;Authentication=ActiveDirectoryPassword')

Connect using Azure SPN

pip install msal

import struct
import msal

global_token_cache = msal.TokenCache()
secret = "<GET SECRET SECURELY>"

global_spn_app = msal.ConfidentialClientApplication(
    <CLIENT_ID>, Authority='https://login.microsoftonline.com/<TENANT_ID>',
    client_credential=secret,
    token_cache=global_token_cache,
)

result = global_spn_app.acquire_token_for_client(scopes=['https://database.windows.net//.default'])
SQL_COPT_SS_ACCESS_TOKEN = 1256

token = bytes(result['access_token'], 'utf-8')
exptoken = b"";

for i in token:
    exptoken += bytes({i});
    exptoken += bytes(1);

token_struct = struct.pack("=i", len(exptoken)) + exptoken;

connection = pyodbc.connect('DRIVER={ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server};Server=tcp:<SERVER_NAME>;PORT=<PORT>;Database=<DATABASE>;Uid=<USER>;Pwd=<SECRET>;Encrypt=yes;TrustServerCertificate=no;Connection Timeout=<TIMEOUT>;' attrs_before = { SQL_COPT_SS_ACCESS_TOKEN:tokenstruct })

Once you have the connection you can setup the cursor.

cursor = connection.cursor()

Then execute a command

command = "<COMMAND>"
params = ()
cursor.execute(command, params)
connection.commit()

After you Are finish Close

cursor.close()
connection.close()