> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://atlas.anywhere.now/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://atlas.anywhere.now/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/prerequisites/azure-sql-databases/dialogue-manager.md).

# Dialogue Manager database requirements

Database sizing, growth rates, and configuration requirements for the Dialogue Manager database.

The Dialogue Manager (DM) database stores transactional data for all text-based channels: WebChat, email, and other Dialogue Providers (integration connectors for specific communication channels). One Dialogue Manager database is required per UCC service. All UCCs on a service share it.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Do not connect multiple Dialogue Managers to the same database. See [Design, Planning, and Limits](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/design-planning-limits.md) for the full deployment rules and the consequences of violations.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
**Before you begin:** An Azure SQL database must be provisioned in the customer's Azure tenant. One database is required per UCC service — if your deployment has multiple UCC services, provision one database for each. Allow approximately 15 minutes.
{% endhint %}

***

## Prerequisites

* Azure SQL database provisioned in the customer's Azure tenant
* SQL user account with `db_owner` role on the DM database
* DM database reachable from Dialogue Cloud regional IPs (see [firewall requirements](#firewall-requirements) below)

***

## Database requirements

| Requirement                     | Value                                                                                                                      |
| ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Minimum DTU tier                | Scale based on anticipated email/WebChat volume — size conservatively if attachments are expected (see growth table below) |
| Collation                       | `SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS`                                                                                             |
| MultipleActiveResultSets (MARS) | **`True`**                                                                                                                 |
| Authentication                  | SQL authentication                                                                                                         |

{% hint style="info" %}
Note that MultipleActiveResultSets (MARS) is **`True`** for the Dialogue Manager database and **`False`** for the CDR database. Do not use the same connection string for both.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Password character restrictions**: the SQL user password must not contain characters that require escaping in a connection string (for example, semicolons, equals signs, or single quotes). Use a complex alphanumeric password with standard special characters only.
{% endhint %}

### Firewall requirements

The Dialogue Manager database must allow inbound connections from the Dialogue Cloud network address translation (NAT) gateway IP addresses for your deployment region. The IP ranges are the same as for the CDR database.

See [Call Detail Records database — Firewall requirements](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/prerequisites/azure-sql-databases/call-detail-records.md#firewall-requirements) for the process to obtain IP addresses for your region. Apply the same rules to this database.

***

## Database size and growth

AnywhereNow has measured DM database growth across representative test scenarios.

**Test setup:** Single UCC, audio calls, Dialogue Manager with Email Dialogue Provider. Newly created database for each scenario. Measurements from SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) "Disk Usage" and "Disk Usage by Table" standard reports.

{% hint style="info" %}
Extrapolated figures represent raw accrued data only. Log files and reserved space add further overhead.

For autogrowth sizing guidance, see [Microsoft: Manage database file autogrowth](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/azure-sql-blog/how-to-manage-amp-measure-database-file-autogrowth-impact-on/ba-p/3242472).
{% endhint %}

| Scenario                                             | DB space used | Data files reserved | Transaction log reserved | Total reserved | Raw data delta | 1,000 dialogues (extrapolated) |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------ | -------------- | -------------- | ------------------------------ |
| Greenfield (0 dialogues)                             | 4.44 MB       | 8.00 MB             | 8.00 MB                  | 16.00 MB       | —              | —                              |
| After 10 basic audio calls                           | 4.44 MB       | 8.00 MB             | 8.00 MB                  | 16.00 MB       | —              | —                              |
| After 10 email conversations (no attachments)        | 6.81 MB       | 8.00 MB             | 8.00 MB                  | 16.00 MB       | 2.37 MB        | **\~241 MB**                   |
| After 10 email conversations (with 1 MB attachments) | 27.81 MB      | 72.00 MB            | 72.00 MB                 | 144.00 MB      | 23.37 MB       | **\~2,341 MB**                 |

{% hint style="warning" %}
Email attachments cause significantly larger DM database growth — the per-1,000-dialogue size with 1 MB attachments is approximately **10× larger** than without. Size your DM database conservatively if email channels with attachments are expected.
{% endhint %}

***

## Additional DM growth factors

The test results above do not include growth from the following. Deployments using any of these will experience higher DM database growth:

* **Large message body content**: embedded tables, forms, elaborate signatures, default multimedia files
* **Inline images** (not attachments) or multimedia content in messages
* **`AddMessageThreadToReply = true`**: duplicates the message thread in each subsequent reply — data volume grows exponentially with conversation length
* **`AddMessageThreadToForward = true`**: duplicates the message thread after a forward — data volume grows exponentially with forwarding chains
* **WebChat Adaptive Card Responses**: rich content increases per-conversation data volume

***

## What's next?

Return to the [setup overview](/set-up-dialogue-cloud-neo/initial-setup.md) to choose the next outstanding preparation, onboarding or upgrade, and model-specific telephony task.


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