How to connect to external SQL Server 2017 database with TLS 1.2

[Gabriel]

We upgraded our database server to Windows Server 2019 running SQL Server 2017 and hardened everything following PCI standards, limiting connections to TLS 1.2. This has meant tweaking connection strings to use newer drivers for everything connecting to it, but I can't get our local Bamboo server to connect. I get error:

"bamboo java.sql.SQLexception I/O Error: db server closed connection"

I assume I need to update our dated Bamboo version or use a different driver, but I'm flailing a bit and any help would be much appreciated. Here's my current bamboo configuration (without db server/name):

• Driver name: jTDS Type 4 JDBC Driver for MS SQL Server and Sybase
• Driver class name: net.sourceforge.jtds.jdbc.Driver
• Driver version: 1.2.2
• Database URL: jdbc:jtds:sqlserver://<database_server>:1433/<database_name>
• Hibernate dialect: net.sf.hibernate.dialect.SQLServerIntlDialect

Probably relevant:

• Java version: 1.7.0_25
• Bamboo version: 5.5.1

Is this as simple as updating my Bamboo version? Thanks for any help!

[Shankar Asam {Appfire}]

Hi,

Could you try the recommendations from links given below and check it (although they are not for Bamboo - but should work),

Buggy driver and proper connection strings,

https://confluence.atlassian.com/confkb/cannot-connect-confluence-to-ms-sql-server-using-force-encryption-591594220.html

Load SQL certs into JAVA keystore,

https://confluence.atlassian.com/jirakb/unable-to-connect-to-ms-sql-server-due-to-db-server-closed-connection-296911255.html

-Shankar

[Gabriel]

I tried both suggestions, but am still getting the same error. 

The database server does indeed enforce SSL (required for PCI compliance) so your second link seemed to be on the right track. I followed the instructions at https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver070/connecting-to-ssl-services-779356667.html and imported the certificate into the trust store at $JAVA_HOME/jre/lib/security/cacerts ($JAVA_HOME/lib/security/cacerts does not exist). However, this didn't change the error.

I tried various combinations of enabling SSL in the connection string and changing the JAVA_OPTS environment variable as described in your first link as well.

I read that SQL Server 2017 wasn't supported on earlier versions of Bamboo. Is this true regardless of configuration changes?

Thanks!

[Shankar Asam {Appfire}]

I didn't find the supported platform for Bamboo 5.5.1 but I did it for 5.13.x

https://confluence.atlassian.com/bamboo0513/supported-platforms-857079483.html

As per the above, it seems SQL server 2017 was not supported for 5.13 and I assume it's same case for 5.5.1 as well

-Shankar

[Gabriel]

It seems I should just go ahead and update our Bamboo server to the newer version and hopefully it will resolve the connection problems.