SQL Server Performance Forum – Threads Archive

Need to change the account on which the SQL server

Hello DBA’s I have a situation where I need to change the account on which the SQL server agent is running on production. Can you tell me what are the steps that can be best practise to do so and care to be taken at any particular step Thanks
Satya

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SQL Configuration manager is the tool to Administer different Services in SQL Server.
Madhu

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Also ensure the new service account has all the rights it needs.

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Ok Got it But how do I create a new user account ? and next make sure it has all previlages. Thanks
Satya

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You got Active Directory? If you have, you need to go into the mmc snap-in, AD Users and Computers, and create it in there. Ensure it has the same rights (group membership) of the existing account. If you server is stand-alone, not on an AD domain, you’ll need to create a local account. This can be done in Computer Management.. Local Users and Groups.

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Thomas Thank you. But I am not familiar with configuring the AD domain. CAn you help me out with that? Thanks
Satya

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not really, because your AD will be set up differently to mine. Have you got a network admin who can help you?

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This is in production. So can anyone advise me steps to follow? Do I have to schedule some pre – planned downtime and something like that? Do I have to stop the agent and then change the account? Thanks
Satya

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Yes it needs to be restarted. This usually isn’t an issue with SQL Server agent, even in production, as users aren’t affected by it restarting. You just have to ensure no jobs are running at the time of the restart.

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Ok Thomas Thanks, that helped a lot, just to double check before I do this, we really don’t need to bring down the whole server to do this process according to you, and you say we have to restart the SQL server agent and we are done with it. I am asking this because there are a whole lot of services (Reporting Services, Analysis Services, Int Services)that are right now running under a different account and all need to be changed. Does restarting the SQL server agent set all these services allright or do we have to change all the services that are using the old account? Thanks
Satya

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You have to change each account separately.

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Thanks Thomas I got the answer for my second question but not for the first one.I am pasting it once again below: just to double check before I do this, we really don’t need to bring down the whole server to do this process according to you, and you say we have to restart the SQL server agent and we are done with it.
Thanks
Satya

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I have one more clarification: Currently the whole security is configured in Windows authentication right now. And our whole system uses both web and windows applications. Is it a good practise to change everything to SQL Server authentication or not? Thanks
Satya

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Windows authentication is the recommended security mode, as it is more secure and you don’t have to send login names and passwords over the network. Read SQL Server 2005 Books Online
Security Considerations for a SQL Server Installation
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms144228.aspx
http://vyaskn.tripod.com/sql_server_security_best_practices.htm
MohammedU.
Moderator
SQL-Server-Performance.com

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IMHO, no as Window authentication is better in terms of trustworthy security.
Satya SKJ
Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Writer, Contributing Editor & Moderator
http://www.SQL-Server-Performance.Com
This posting is provided AS IS with no rights for the sake of knowledge sharing. The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.

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