Short answer: 2019 and later, 2017 if you ask.
The support table
| Microsoft source | Supported | Sign-in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQL Server 2019, 2022, 2025 | Yes | SQL login | On premises or on a VM |
| SQL Server 2017 | By request | SQL login | Talk to us |
| SQL Server 2016 and earlier | Not listed | ||
| Azure SQL Database | Yes | SQL login, managed identity, Entra ID service principal | |
| Azure Synapse Analytics | Yes | SQL login, managed identity, Entra ID service principal | |
| Microsoft Fabric (OneLake lakehouse and warehouse) | Yes, since 5.92.1 (August 27, 2026) | Entra ID service principal or managed identity | Through the SQL analytics endpoint |
Every row is in both the open-source and Enterprise editions. Enterprise adds users, connections, and support, not connectors. Sources: TestGen’s Access Requirements and release notes, plus DataKitchen engineering on the 2017 question, November 2026.
Why 2019 is the floor
TestGen added SQL Server in October 2023, in a release that named SQL Server 2019. The feature that depends most on the version is migration testing: TestGen’s text-hash comparison tests need UTF-8 collations, which SQL Server introduced in 2019. TestGen’s migration docs say that on versions without them, hash tests miss changes to text columns.
If you run SQL Server 2017 in production, and many shops do, contact DataKitchen before you plan around it.
What TestGen needs from any version
- A SQL login. Windows authentication isn’t supported for SQL Server.
- SELECT on the tables you test.
- Read access to
information_schema.columns,sys.objects, andsys.partitions, which database users have by default.
TestGen runs only SELECT statements and never writes to your database.
If you’re upgrading
Two Microsoft dates to plan around: SQL Server 2025 discontinues Data Quality Services (what replaces DQS), and SQL Server 2022’s mainstream support ends in January 2028, per Microsoft’s lifecycle page. An upgrade is a migration, and TestGen’s comparison tests work across SQL Server versions as well as across engines.
The full list of non-Microsoft sources is on which databases TestGen supports. Start at the SQL Server install page.