April 16, 2008 at 10:45 am
I started off on a task to minimize the logins on our Sql server servers. So the first step was to move toward everyone into ad groups and then grant those groups access, we really do not want to have individuals needing access. No problem. So I pull a list of logins from and I see that I have some domain\server$ accounts, I suspect IIS,RS, ASP.NET. I have the nt network account, the builtin\admins account, the nt system account and three groups created by Sql Server. The builtin admins I can remove no issue. The nt system account I can remove no problem. I like using groups for the sql server services, not sure if I like sql server creating them on the server. Now it seems like I should not have to have both the nt network account and the domain\server$ accounts and I'm not sure where the domain\server$ accounts are really coming from. Here are my questions
1: Where are the domain\server$ accounts really coming from?
2: How can I control those accounts so that they are either a specified group etc?
3: Why does the process that created the domain\server$ accounts not use the nt network account?
4: If the domain\server$ accounts are coming from IIS\RS\ASP.NET then what's left that might need the NT Network account?
Thanks
Mark
April 16, 2008 at 11:41 am
Okay, I have been able to confirm that the domain\server$ accounts are related to Reporting Services and application pools. the is a good write up at sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/stevechowles/archive/2007/07/02/reporting-services-2005-for-the-dba-changing-application-pool-identity.aspx that describes what I was looking for.
Thanks,
Mark
Mark Johnson
MCP, MCTS Sql Server 2005,MCTS Sql Server 2008, OCP
April 16, 2008 at 11:46 am
Thanks for the update and reference. That's great information to have.
April 16, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Side note - typically, domain\servername$ accounts are used by the Network Service builtin account. So if any service is configured to use Network Service as its account and it requires access to an SQL Server, it will use the machine credentials (i.e. domain\servername$).
Be warned - ANY service that uses Network Service as its account will have access to any server/database that the machine account is granted access to, whether it needs it or not. Strengthening the position of 'use dedicated service accounts'.
MARCUS. Why dost thou laugh? It fits not with this hour.
TITUS. Why, I have not another tear to shed;
--Titus Andronicus, William Shakespeare
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply