SQL Server Run Different Version of Python-John Liu Blog

SQL Server Machine Learning Service comes with a default Phyton runtime. For SQL 2019, it’s Phyton 3.5. You might need to run your Phyton script against a different version of Phyton runtime.

To configure another Phyton version runtime to be available to your SQL instance, do the following:

Install Phyton 3.10 with options to install for all users
Install required packages
Grant required permissions to SQL Server LaunchPad service account and ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES using icacls

@ECHO OFF
ECHO installing python
"%~dp0python-3.10.11-amd64.exe" /passive TargetDir="C:\Program Files\Python310" InstallAllUsers=1 PrependPath=1 Include_test=0

ECHO installing required packages
"C:\Program Files\Python310\python.exe" -m pip install -t "C:\Program Files\Python310\Lib\site-packages" dill numpy pandas patsy python-dateutil
"C:\Program Files\Python310\python.exe" -m pip install -t "C:\Program Files\Python310\Lib\site-packages" https://aka.ms/sqlml/python3.10/windows/revoscalepy-10.0.1-py3-none-any.whl

ECHO grant required permissions: (OI)(CI)RX stands for Object Inherit, Container Inherit, Read and Execute. /inheritance:e enables inheritance if it's disabled
icacls "C:\Program Files\Python310" /grant "NT Service\MSSQLLAUNCHPAD$SQLEXP_2019":(OI)(CI)RX /T /inheritance:e
icacls "C:\Program Files\Python310" /grant *S-1-15-2-1:(OI)(CI)RX /T /inheritance:e

Please note, in the above script for grant required permission section, change MSSQLLAUNCHPAD$SQLEXP_2019 to the account running lauchpad service.

In the above script, assign permission to S-1-15-2-1 is equivelant to assign permission to ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES.

From SQL2019+, Microsoft introduced Language Extensions, which allows you to define a “Custom Runtime” alongside the default version.

Install the Python Version: Install your desired Python version anywhere on the server.
Register the External Language: Use CREATE EXTERNAL LANGUAGE to point SQL Server to a specific Python DLL/executable.
Run the Script: Call your script using the specific language name you created.

-- Example: Registering a custom Python 3.10 runtime
CREATE EXTERNAL LANGUAGE [Python310]  
FROM (CONTENT = N'C:\Path\To\python-lang-extension-windows-release.zip',    --download from Microsoft Language Extensions
      FILE_NAME = 'pythonextension.dll', 
      ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES = N'{
        "PYTHONHOME": "C:/Program Files/Python310",
        "PYTHONPATH": "C:/SQL_Python_Lib"
    }'   --needs to use single forwardslash or double backslash instead of single backslash
);
GO

-- Execute using your new "language" name
EXEC sp_execute_external_script  
    @language = N'Python310',  
    @script = N'import sys; print(sys.version)';

-- list all registered language
select * from sys.external_languages
select * from sys.external_language_files

Reference resources:

CREATE EXTERNAL LANGUAGE (Transact-SQL)
What is SQL Server Machine Learning Services with Python and R?
Install a Python custom runtime for SQL Server
Install SQL Server 2022 Machine Learning Services (Python and R) on Windows
Install packages with Python tools on SQL Server
Change the default R or Python language runtime version

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