Re: ODBC and Security

Nils.Myklebust@ccmail.telemax.no wrote: : The issues are also a little more difficult than others have been saying. : 1. We are *not* in a position where we can accept that all updates are done : via I4GL programs. The users demand GUI programs also for updates. For John Frantz : and many others who have said that I4GL is adequate: Adequate doesn't count : here, we are after excelense. That can in many situations *not* be achievd : with a character based interface. Agreed. : 2. We may be able to use NewEra programs. However than the users gets I-Net on : their PCs and installation of ODBC is almost a nobrainer. IMO, using of ODBC means, admin has no control over access permissions on programs. User can install any program he wants and use it in the way he wants. So we have to use tools on server side to control access - database and table permissions, views, triggers, stored procedures and finally roles. It is difficult to do it properly for legacy systems, mainly because developers of these systems didn't think of such possibilities. : 3. We do want to be able to use ODBC to write programs with full access and : update rights to the database. We are not alone. This is what *must* be : solved, : and solved to its full extent. : All of the rest of the discussion is interesting and fine, but it is beside : the point. You can do it using roles. Anybody demands password on role, but it isn't necessary. A name of any role don't need to be public and additionally you can implement encrypting mechanism to make finding a name more difficult. : Informix is also generally in a bad need to supply full security like we have : with I4GL under Unix also when using ODBC. If this isn't a heavy market demand : right now it will become so very soon. All these calls for control access permissions for programs is because developers design closed systems. Access for any object has to be checked close to the object itself. ODBC broke your (our too :-)) improperly designed systems and you complaint on it. It isn't ODBC's fault. -- Zdeno Miklas SOFTEC spol. s r. o. e-mail: ash@softec.sk Kutuzovova 23 phone : 42-7-273805 ext.128 831 03 Bratislava fax : 42-7-272537 SLOVAKIA