Files to Exclude
Microsoft SQL Server databases are dynamic, and exclude the directory and backup folders from the scan list because of their large size. If it is necessary to scan database files, create a scheduled task to scan them during off-peak hours. It is not necessary to create exclusions for them.
Exclusions by extension: Exclude SQL Server database files that are used by Operations Manager components, and system database files for the master database and the tempdb database. For example, file extensions MDF and LDF.
See this Microsoft article, which links to different articles based on the SQL Server version, and follow the recommendations:
A summary of the recommendations is to exclude these files and processes:
SQL Server 2016
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.<Instance Name>\MSSQL\Binn\SQLServr.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS13.<Instance Name>\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin\ReportingServicesService.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSAS13.<Instance Name>\OLAP\Bin\MSMDSrv.exe
SQL Server 2014
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL12.<Instance Name>\MSSQL\Binn\SQLServr.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS12.<Instance Name>\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin\ReportingServicesService.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSAS12.<Instance Name>\OLAP\Bin\MSMDSrv.exe
SQL Server 2012
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.<Instance Name>\MSSQL\Binn\SQLServr.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS11.<Instance Name>\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin\ReportingServicesService.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSAS11.<Instance Name>\OLAP\Bin\MSMDSrv.exe
SQL Server 2008 R2
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.<Instance Name>\MSSQL\Binn\SQLServr.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.<Instance Name>\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin\ReportingServicesService.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.<Instance Name>\OLAP\Bin\MSMDSrv.exe
SQL Server 2008
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.<Instance Name>\MSSQL\Binn\SQLServr.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.<Instance Name>\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin\ReportingServicesService.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.<Instance Name>\OLAP\Bin\MSMDSrv.exe
SQL Server 2005
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Binn\SQLServr.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.3\Reporting Services\ReportServer\Bin\ReportingServicesService.exe
C:\program file*\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.2\OLAP\Bin\MSMDSrv.exe
If you have an SQL Server cluster, exclude these paths:
Q:\ (Quorum drive)
C:\Windows\Cluster