---
title: "Start-VESQLDatabasePublish"
description: "Publishes a backed-up Microsoft SQL Server database. Product: Veeam Backup & Replication Product Edition: Community, Standard, Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, Veeam Universal License This cmdlet provides the following parameter sets: This cmdlet all"
canonical: "https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/vbr/explorers_powershell/start-vesqldatabasepublish.html"
breadcrumb: "Veeam Explorers PowerShell Reference > Veeam Explorers PowerShell Reference > Veeam Explorer for Microsoft SQL Server > Start-VESQLDatabasePublish"
dateModified: "2026-08-18"
---

# Start-VESQLDatabasePublish

## Short Description
Publishes a backed-up Microsoft SQL Server database.

**Product**: Veeam Backup & Replication

**Product Edition**: Community, Standard, Enterprise, Enterprise Plus, Veeam Universal License

## Syntax

This cmdlet provides the following parameter sets:

<ul class="syntax-sets">
  <li>
    <p><code>PublishUsingCredentialsFromVBR</code></p>

```
Start-VESQLDatabasePublish [-Database] <VESQLDatabase> [-DatabaseName <String>] -ServerName <String>
 [-InstanceName <String>] [-Port <Int32>] [-ToPointInTimeUtc <DateTime>] [-Force] [<CommonParameters>]
```
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><code>PublishUsingCredentials</code></p>

```
Start-VESQLDatabasePublish [-Database] <VESQLDatabase> [-DatabaseName <String>] -ServerName <String>
 [-InstanceName <String>] [-Port <Int32>] [-UseSQLAuthentication] -SqlCredentials <PSCredential>
 [-GuestCredentials <PSCredential>] [-ToPointInTimeUtc <DateTime>] [-Force] [<CommonParameters>]
```
  </li>
  <li>
    <p><code>PublishUsingGmsaAccount</code></p>

```
Start-VESQLDatabasePublish [-Database] <VESQLDatabase> [-DatabaseName <String>] -ServerName <String>
 [-InstanceName <String>] [-Port <Int32>] -GMSAAccount <String> [-ToPointInTimeUtc <DateTime>] [-Force] [<CommonParameters>]
```
  </li>
</ul>

## Detailed Description
This cmdlet allows you to publish a backed-up Microsoft SQL Server database to a target server.

## Parameters

<table style="width:100%;" class="Blue_Table">
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Parameter</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Description</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:20%;">
          <p>Type</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Required</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Position</p>
        </th>
        <th style="width:10%;">
          <p>Accept Pipeline Input</p>
        </th>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">Database</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies a Microsoft SQL Server database that you want to publish.</p><p>Accepts the <a href="vesqldatabase.md"><code>VESQLDatabase</code></a> object. To get this object, run the <a href="get-vesqldatabase.md"><code>Get-VESQLDatabase</code></a> cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><a href="vesqldatabase.md"><code>VESQLDatabase</code></a></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>0</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True (ByValue)</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">DatabaseName</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies a new name for a Microsoft SQL Server database. The cmdlet will publish the existing database with this name.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>String</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">Force</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the cmdlet will overwrite the existing database with the database from the backup.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: The cmdlet will show no prompt before executing the command.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">GMSAAccount</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies the name of the Group Managed Service Account (gMSA). The cmdlet will use this account to authenticate to Microsoft SQL Server on the target machine.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>String</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">GuestCredentials</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies credentials for authenticating to the target server. If these credentials do not work, the cmdlet will use the credentials specified in the backup job.</p><p>Consider the following:</p><ul><li>If you omit this parameter, the cmdlet will use the credentials specified in the <code>SqlCredentials</code> parameter to connect to both Microsoft SQL Server and to the guest OS on the target server.</li><li>If you do not specify SQL credentials, the cmdlet will use the current account credentials.</li></ul><p>Accepts the <code>PSCredential</code> object. To get this object, run the [`Get-Credential`](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.security/get-credential?view=powershell-7.6) cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>PSCredential</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">InstanceName</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies the name of the target instance. The cmdlet will publish the Microsoft SQL Server database to that instance.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>String</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">Port</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies a port number. The cmdlet will use this port to connect to the target machine with Microsoft SQL Server.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>Int32</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">ServerName</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies DNS name or IP address of the target server. The cmdlet will publish a Microsoft SQL Server database to that server.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>String</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">SqlCredentials</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies the credentials for authenticating to Microsoft SQL Server on the target machine.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: If you do not specify SQL credentials, the cmdlet will use the current account credentials. If these credentials do not work, the cmdlet will use the credentials specified in the backup job.</p><p>Accepts the <code>PSCredential</code> object. To get this object, run the [`Get-Credential`](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.security/get-credential?view=powershell-7.6) cmdlet.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>PSCredential</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>True</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">ToPointInTimeUtc</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Specifies a point in time within the restore interval of a Microsoft SQL Server database.</p><p>The cmdlet will publish the database to the state of the specified point in time.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: Make sure that the value you assign to this parameter is converted to Universal Coordinated Time (UTC).</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>DateTime</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
      <tr style="vertical-align:top">
        <td>
          <p class="Table_Text_Bold"><span class="Table_Text_Bold">UseSQLAuthentication</span></p>
        </td>
        <td>
          <p>Defines that the cmdlet will use SQL authentication to connect to Microsoft SQL Server on the target machine.</p><p><strong>Note</strong>: If you omit this parameter, the cmdlet will use the credentials specified in the <code>SQLCredentials</code> parameter to connect to both Microsoft SQL Server and to the guest OS.</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p><code>SwitchParameter</code></p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>Named</p>
        </td>
        <td style="width:10%;">
          <p>False</p>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>

`<CommonParameters>`

This cmdlet supports Microsoft PowerShell common parameters. For more information on common parameters, see the [About Common Parameters](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkID=113216) section of Microsoft Docs.

## Output Object
The cmdlet returns the [`VESQLDatabasePublish`](vesqldatabasepublish.md) object that contains a published Microsoft SQL Server database.

## Examples

::: example
### Publishing Microsoft SQL Server Database to Specific Server

This example shows how to publish a Microsoft SQL Server database to a specific server. This example uses the current account credentials to log in to the guest OS and Microsoft SQL Server on the target machine.

```
$session = Get-VESQLRestoreSession
$database = Get-VESQLDatabase -Session $session[0] -Name "SQLDatabase"
$publish = Start-VESQLDatabasePublish -Database $database -ServerName "TargetServer"
```

Perform the following steps:

1. Run the [`Get-VESQLRestoreSession`](get-vesqlrestoresession.md) cmdlet. Save the result to the `$session` variable.

   The cmdlet will return an array of restore sessions. Note the ordinal number of the necessary restore session. In this example, it is the first restore session in the array.

2. Run the [`Get-VESQLDatabase`](get-vesqldatabase.md) cmdlet. Set the `$session` variable as the `Session` parameter value and select the necessary restore session. Specify the `Name` parameter value. Save the result to the `$database` variable.
3. Run the `Start-VESQLDatabasePublish` cmdlet. Specify the following settings:

   - Set the `$database` variable as the `Database` parameter value.
   - Specify the `ServerName` parameter value.

:::

## Related Commands

- [`Get-VESQLRestoreSession`](get-vesqlrestoresession.md)
- [`Get-VESQLDatabase`](get-vesqldatabase.md)