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Security Benefits in Running SS2K8 in SS2K Compatibility Mode?

  • August 8, 2011 at 7:38 am

    #99752

    The Background:

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    I inherited a SS2K COTS Web application for which my organization bought the source code but did not get any documentation. We need to transition to SS2K8 for general purposes but specifically for the security features.

    The back-end has 500+ stored procedures, views, and functions. I have run the SS2K "Best Practices Advisor" tool on it and came up with a slew of discrepancies. I also ran the "SS2K8 Upgrade Advisor" tool and got a smaller list of discrepancies. I have read the Microsoft document "SQL Server 2008 Upgrade Technical Reference Guide" (486 pages) but realize that I will not be able to do the entire transition on my own. The biggest problem will be problems with the front-end. I know there is inline SQL in it and the volume of source code will mandate having a web developer (I am a DB analyst) on the team.

    I have been tasked with coming up with a transition strategy and making a schedule for how we will accomplish this task.

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    The problem:

    My efforts are exploratory. I have no resources besides myself. One suggestion for determining the complexity of this task was to make a copy of the database in Development, transition it to SS2K8, point a test front-end to it, BUT, run SS2K8 in "compatibility mode 80 (SS2K)". Then see if we have any major problems. Then, switch the compatibility back and forth between compatibility mode for SS2K and SS2K8 to test for problems. I realize this is not optimum, but it would give my management an initial idea of what we are up against.

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    Question: are any of the SS2K8 security features available if the db is running in SS2K compatibility mode? They are especially interested in the data encryption.

  • August 16, 2011 at 8:40 am

    #1369117

    If I am not mistaken, compatibility level will only effect the parser and the query processor. SQL 2005 has a pretty good encryption. All the other features of SQL 2008 should work as normal even in 2005 mode.

    -Roy

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