---
title: Installing a SQL Express instance for the Intuitive Dashboard
description: If you do not have an appropriate SQL Server instance available, or you are looking to decouple the dashboard from it, then you can install SQL Server Express, a free version of the database engine. E
---

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# Installing a SQL Express instance for the Intuitive Dashboard

If you do not have an appropriate SQL Server instance available, or you are looking to decouple the dashboard from it, then you can install SQL Server Express, a free version of the database engine.

Express imposes limits on the size of database that can be used and the memory that is addressable, however the small size of the dashboard database means that these settings are of no consequence.

The main limitation of using SQL Server Express with Intuitive Dashboards is that SQL Agent is not available to automate backups. In this case you can build a PowerShell script (not described here) to achieve auto database backup or rely on a regular filesystem backup.

Normally this instance would be installed on the dashboard server itself.

The component to be installed is \[Microsoft® SQL Server® 2019\] which can be found here:  
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/sql-server/sql-server-downloads

The downloaded file is called \[SQL2019-SSEI-Expr.exe\] 

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