ms.date: 09/05/2018

The SQL Server Trusted Launchpad is a service that manages and executes external scripts, similar to the way that the full-text indexing and query service launches a separate host for processing full-text queries. The Launchpad service can start only trusted launchers that are published by Microsoft, or that have been certified by Microsoft as meeting requirements for performance and resource management.

ms.date: 10/10/2018

Create a database login for the [SQLRUserGroup](../concepts/security.md#sqlrusergroup) when a loopback connection in your script specifies a *trusted connection*, and the identity used to execute whatever object contains your code is a Windows account.

Trusted connections are those having `Trusted_Connection=True` in the connection string. When SQL Server receives a request specifying a trusted connection, it checks whether the identity of the current user has a login. For external satellite processes executing as a worker account (such as MSSQLSERVER01 from **SQLRUserGroup**), the request fails because those accounts do not have a login by default.

You can work around the connection error by giving **SQLServerRUserGroup** a database login on your server. For more information about identities and external processes, see [Security overview for the extensibility framework](../concepts/security.md).

+ If you are using a _named instance_, the instance name is appended to the name of the default worker group name, `SQLRUserGroup`. Hence, if your instance is named "MLTEST", the default user group name for this instance would be **SQLRUserGroupMLTest**.


ms.date: 10/01/2018

By default, the SQL Server Setup disables outbound connections by creating firewall rules.

In SQL Server 2016 and 2017, these rules are based on local user accounts, where Setup created one outbound rule for **SQLRUserGroup** that denied network access to its members (each worker account was listed as a local principle subject to the rule.

title: SQL Server Trusted Launchpad service account configuration | Microsoft Docs

description: How to modify the SQL Server Trusted Launchpad service account used for external script execution on SQL Server.

ms.date: 09/27/2018

A separate [!INCLUDE[rsql_launchpad_md](../../includes/rsql-launchpad-md.md)] service is created for each database engine instance to which you have added SQL Server machine learning (R or Python) integration. There is one Launchpad service for each database engine instance, so if you have multiple instances with R or Python support, you will have a Launchpad service for each one. A database engine instance is bound to the Launchpad service created for it. All invocations of external script in a stored procedure or T-SQL result in the SQL Server service calling the Launchpad service created for the same instance.

By default, SQL Server Launchpad is configured to run under **NT Service\MSSQLLaunchpad**, which is provisioned with all necessary permissions to run external scripts. Stripping permissions from this account can result in Launchpad failing to start or to access the SQL Server instance where external scripts should be run.

If you modify the service account, be sure to use the **Local Security Policy** application (**All apps** > **Windows Administrative Tools** > **Local Security Policy**).

1. Open [SQL Server Configuration Manager](../../relational-databases/sql-server-configuration-manager.md).

+ On the Start page, type **MMC** to open the Microsoft Management Console.

+ On **File** > **Add/Remove Snap-in**, move **SQL Server Configuration Manager** from Available to Selected Snap-ins.

2. In SQL Server Configuration Manager under SQL Server Services, right-click SQL Server Launchpad and select **Properties**.

+ To increase the number of users, click the **Advanced** tab.

A few properties can only be changed by using the Launchpad's configuration file, which might be useful in limited cases, such as debugging. The configuration file is created during [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] setup and by default is saved as a plain text file in the following location: `<instance path>\binn\rlauncher.config`

The following table lists the advanced settings for [!INCLUDE[ssCurrent](../../includes/sscurrent-md.md)], with the permissible values.

|TRACE\_LEVEL|Integer |Configures the trace verbosity level of MSSQLLAUNCHPAD for debugging purposes. This affects trace files in the path specified by the LOG_DIRECTORY setting. </br></br>Supported values are: **1** (Error), **2** (Performance), **3** (Warning), **4** (Information). </br></br>The default is 1, meaning output warnings only.|

To enable this setting and force password refresh, open the **Properties** pane for the Launchpad service in SQL Server Configuration Manager, click **Advanced**, and change **Reset External Users Password** to **Yes**. When you apply this change, the passwords will immediately be regenerated for all user accounts. To use R script after this change, you must restart the Launchpad service, at which time it will read the newly generated passwords.

[Extensibility framework](../concepts/extensibility-framework.md)

[Security overview](../concepts/security.md)