Python: pyodbc with SQL Server

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()