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Create a Whitelist for SQL Server

UPDATED – May 16, 2017 – Please review the updated code here. In my previous post, Configuring the Azure SQL Database Firewall, I discussed how you can configure the firewall rules to manage access to the SQL Server. Today, I wanted to demonstrate how you can accomplish the same thing with your on-premise SQL Servers by creating a whitelist. So let’s start off by defining “whitelist”. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, it is “a list of people or organizations that have been approved to receive special considerations”. In our example, that “special consideration” is access to the SQL Server only if...

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Configuring the Azure SQL Database Firewall

Azure SQL Database is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) that provides a relational database for use over the internet. That sounds super cool and easy to use. But wait, there’s one word I’d like to highlight in that first sentence: “internet”. Anyone with an internet connection could access your database. Now that’s no cool. So how does Microsoft keep your database safe? The answer is a multipronged approach of using encryption, authentication, authorization, and firewalls. All connections to Azure SQL Database use SSL/TLS to protect your data while “in transit”, and you can use Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) to...

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Microsoft Azure Certified

Over the past few months, I have been working diligently to learn more about Azure. As a result of my studies, I have successfully passed the Implementing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions certification exam (70-533). By far, this is the hardest exam I have taken to date. Over the past 15+ years I have worked very hard to learn as much as possible about SQL Server and the Windows operating systems that it runs on, but that knowledge only took me so far within Azure. I had to look at Azure as an entire suite of products that seamlessly work together, and...

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Speaking at SQL Saturday #452 – Charlotte, NC – October 17

In case you missed it last week, there will be another SQL Saturday this weekend in Charlotte, NC. If you are in the area, please come out to this free training event to hear a bunch of great professionals talk about SQL Server. You can register for the event here: http://www.sqlsaturday.com/452/eventhome.aspx. I will be presenting one session on Performance Monitoring Tools. No Money for Performance Monitoring Tools? No Problem! So you like the idea of using one of the commercially available performance monitoring tools but can’t convince your boss to spend the money? Then join me as we explore some...

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Speaking at SQL Saturday #445 – Raleigh, NC – October 10

I will be speaking this weekend at SQL Saturday #445 – Raleigh, NC. If you are in the area, please come out to this free training event to hear a bunch of great professionals talk about SQL Server. You can register for the event here: http://www.sqlsaturday.com/445/eventhome.aspx. So come on out and meet some great people who might be able to help you solve your worst problems. I will be presenting two sessions on Policy Based Management and Performance Monitoring Tools. Policy Based Management – Beyond the Basics Policy Based Management is a great feature of SQL Server and easy to implement;...

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