Sql-server – Enable SQL Server FILESTREAM – Windows Based Docker Container (not linux)

I have been struggling for a few days to spin up a windows based docker container running SQL Server 2017 on Windows Server Core 2016. I am using the following image as a starting point:

https://hub.docker.com/r/microsoft/mssql-server-windows-developer

I managed to successfully install the container and get it running perfectly. When I attempt to restore my database, I get an error stating that the FILESTREAM feature is not enabled. I understand that FILESTREAM is not supported on Linux containers but this is a windows based container.

I have been spending the last few days trying to enable filestream. As this is a server core OS, there is now UI. So using SQL server configuration manager is not an option. At least not locally. I tried connecting to the machine remotely using MMC to manage it but I get an error saying that the computer cannot be remotely managed due to COM+ Network Access (DCOM-In) and all rules in the Remote Event Log Management group not being enabled on the Windows Firewall. Trying to add these rules in the docker container just results in a bunch of errors. I read somewhere that the container actually using the firewall on the host machine. I tried adding the required firewall rules on both the container and the host machine with the following command:

Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost {Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'Remote Event Log Management' -Enabled True -PassThru | select DisplayName, Enabled}

This only results in Access Denied errors on both machines. I tried enabling FILESTREAM on the container using the following script:

# Enable FILESTREAM

$username = "LocalOSUserAccount"
$password = ConvertTo-SecureString "LocalOSUserAccountPassword" -AsPlainText -Force
$psCred = New-Object System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -ArgumentList ($username, $password)

$instance = Get-SqlInstance -MachineName "localhost" -Credential $psCred
$wmi = Get-WmiObject -Namespace "ROOT\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement11" -Class FilestreamSettings | where {$_.InstanceName -eq $instance}
$wmi.EnableFilestream(3, $instance)
Get-Service -Name $instance | Restart-Service
 
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
Import-Module "sqlps" -DisableNameChecking
Invoke-Sqlcmd "EXEC sp_configure filestream_access_level, 2"
Invoke-Sqlcmd "RECONFIGURE"

but this also ended in tears with a instance cannot be found error.

Out of pure frustration, I finally ended up referencing the docker file for this image and creating my own. The original file can be found here:

https://github.com/microsoft/mssql-docker/tree/master/windows/mssql-server-windows-developer

The only thing that I changed was to add the /FILESTREAMLEVEL and the /FILESTREAMSHARENAME to the command line install of SQL Server as per https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/database-engine/install-windows/install-sql-server-from-the-command-prompt?view=sql-server-ver15 in the dockerfile.

With this strategy, I managed to create the image successfully with /FILESTREAMLEVEL=1 and omitting the /FILESTREAMSHARENAME parameter (not required for /FILESTREAMLEVEL=1). When I run the image though, the container is created, but the MSSQLSERVER service fails to start and the container shuts down. I need to find a way to trace this error somehow which I will investigate. It has to be FILESTREAM causing the service start to fail.

When I use /FILESTREAMLEVEL=2 and a /FILESTREAMSHARENAME=MSSQLSERVER, the image fails to build saying that the share MSSQLSERVER could not be validated. I investigated this and it seems you have to ensure that the "Server" service is started, I don't see that service in my container. Another way to enable it is to enable "Printer and File Sharing". Attempting to do this also results in a bunch of Access Denied errors.

Am I missing something very basic? I am fairly new to docker but this is a huge amount of struggle to enable FILESTREAM? Any help would be very much appreciated.