# Using Ruby on Rails with existing Microsoft SQL Server database

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-rails-with-existing-microsoft-sql-server-database/143362>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [July 17, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-rails-with-existing-microsoft-sql-server-database/143362 "2008-07-17T17:45:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chengpan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@chengpan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chengpan)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-rails-with-existing-microsoft-sql-server-database/143362/1 "2008-07-17T17:45:21Z")

</div>

Hey guys,  
I just started learning how to use RORs and am really satisfied with  
it. I installed it and created my first web page in under two hours.  
I’ve decided to make a more advanced page by using an existing SQL  
server database but there does not seem to be anything documentation  
online on how to use existing databases. Do I just edit my  
database.yml file? Do I still have to migrate everything? Will ROR  
understand my current database structure?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chengpan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@chengpan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chengpan)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-rails-with-existing-microsoft-sql-server-database/143362/2 "2008-07-17T17:54:44Z")

</div>

ROR will not understand the current structure. It’s good, but it’s not  
_that_ good. 😉

See:

[http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowToUseLegacySchemas](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/pages/HowToUseLegacySchemas)

And:

[http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/show/HowtoConnectToMicrosoftSQLServer](http://wiki.rubyonrails.org/rails/show/HowtoConnectToMicrosoftSQLServer)

HTH,

-Roy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![chengpan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@chengpan](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/chengpan)\
**Post date:** [July 17, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-ruby-on-rails-with-existing-microsoft-sql-server-database/143362/3 "2008-07-17T18:29:15Z")

</div>

Thanks I will give it a shot.