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 Application Roles?

Author  Topic 

micahlmartin
Starting Member

3 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-20 : 11:20:34
We have a distributed app that creates it's own instance of sqlexpress when installing. This prevents anyone with sa rights on another instance from accessing our data directly (HIPAA compliance concerns). We are currently looking into making our app easier to install, and want to be able to attach our database to existing instance (if one exists), but still prevent the sa account of that instance from directly accessing/viewing our data. Are application roles the way to accomplish this, is there another way, or is this even possible?

Thanks in advance.

elancaster
A very urgent SQL Yakette

1208 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-20 : 11:23:29
sa will still have access

Em
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micahlmartin
Starting Member

3 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-20 : 11:57:04
Any suggestions as to the right approach?

Thanks
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spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-20 : 12:38:58
there is no right approach.
sa will always have full access. the best you can do is to have a really strong sa password.

_______________________________________________
Causing trouble since 1980
blog: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp
SSMS Add-in that does a few things: www.ssmstoolspack.com
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micahlmartin
Starting Member

3 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-20 : 13:53:58
But the solutions is still to install a new instance for my app, right?
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tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2008-03-20 : 14:03:32
Yes you will need to install a new instance just for your application. You'll have to remove the sysadmin fixed server role from the BUILTIN\Administrators group, otherwise local admins will have sysadmin access.

But doing this prevents the DBA from doing his/her job on that instance. I guess your company will have to administer the instance and be responsible for checking on jobs and all other routine tasks.

Tara Kizer
Microsoft MVP for Windows Server System - SQL Server
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/
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