Managing SQL Server Logins Across Environments
By Tom Nonmacher
Managing SQL Server logins across different environments can be a challenging task. The environments can range from on-premise SQL Server instances to cloud-based platforms like Azure SQL. One of the critical aspects of managing SQL Server logins is ensuring that the logins are consistent across all these environments. This consistency is vital to ensure that applications that rely on these logins work seamlessly regardless of the environment on which they are running.
In SQL Server 2016 and 2017, you can use Transact-SQL (T-SQL) to create and manage logins. The CREATE LOGIN statement is used to create a SQL Server login. For instance, you can create a SQL Server login 'TestLogin' with the password 'P@ssword1' as follows:
CREATE LOGIN TestLogin WITH PASSWORD = 'P@ssword1';
You can also use T-SQL to alter or drop existing logins. For example, you can change the password for the 'TestLogin' login to 'P@ssword2' using the ALTER LOGIN statement:
ALTER LOGIN TestLogin WITH PASSWORD = 'P@ssword2';
In MySQL 5.7, you can use the CREATE USER statement to create a new user, which is equivalent to a login in SQL Server. You can also use the ALTER USER statement to modify an existing user. For instance, you can create a new user 'TestUser' with the password 'P@ssword1', and later change the password to 'P@ssword2' as follows:
CREATE USER 'TestUser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'P@ssword1';
ALTER USER 'TestUser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'P@ssword2';
In DB2 11.1, user management is typically done at the operating system level or through LDAP. DB2 relies on these external services for user authentication. However, you can use the CREATE TRUSTED CONTEXT statement to define a set of conditions that DB2 should use to establish a trusted connection. Once the trusted context is created, you can use the GRANT and REVOKE statements to manage user privileges.
In Azure SQL, you can manage SQL Server logins through the Azure portal, PowerShell, or T-SQL. The process of creating, altering, and dropping logins in Azure SQL is similar to that in on-premise SQL Server instances. However, Azure SQL also supports Azure Active Directory authentication, which allows you to manage SQL Server logins centrally through Azure Active Directory.
In conclusion, while managing SQL Server logins across different environments can be challenging, the use of T-SQL in SQL Server 2016 and 2017, the CREATE USER and ALTER USER statements in MySQL 5.7, the CREATE TRUSTED CONTEXT statement in DB2 11.1, and Azure Active Directory authentication in Azure SQL provide you with a wide range of options for managing SQL Server logins effectively.