Once you have installed your SQL Server and performed the patching to the current patch level required, you need to configure basic settings on the SQL Server and also on the Windows Server itself. There are several settings on the Windows Server that have an impact on your SQL Server's performance and security and these need to be updated before you put the server into production. The following are the basic options that you need to configure on the operating system:
- Security rights for your SQL Server account
- Power settings
- Firewall rules