Secure your password with HashBytes TIP #89

Dear Friends,

In my last article (TIP 87) I wrote about PWDENCRYPT.  I forgot to write few details but thanks to all my talented friends & blog readers who guided me by providing there feedback on post.

I respect their inputs and always interested to get more inputs. Thanks to all of you.

Now I would like to share information about “HASHBYTES”  function which is also available for secure your password using various Hash algorithms like MD2 , MD4 , MD5 , SHA ,SHA1 , SHA2_256 , SHA2_512.

The PWDENCRYPT  can be use but  HASHBYTES function provides you various options to make your content robust secure.

The Syntax is very easy as shown below

HASHBYTES (ALGORITHM, ‘INPUT WHICH YOU WANT TO SECURE’)

Now let see an example to understand it more

Just wanted to add here that SHA2_256, SHA2_512 available with 2012 version and above.

Someone said this line right “More option More confusion”

Now we have different algorithm then which one we have to use so the answer is (according to my knowledge) use the latest most secure one Like SHA1, SHA2 etc.

I hope this article may be useful to you.

Thanks !!!

RJ!!!

PWDCOMPARE–a hidden function of SQL SERVER TIP #88

 

I the last tip TIP#88 we saw how to encrypt a password. Now in this tip I would like to share how to check encrypted password ?

Means once you stored your encrypted password in database now next step is to compare that particular password with your input password and return results accordingly.

The Syntax of the PWDCOMPARE   is very simple

PWDCOMPARE(‘Password plain text’, ‘Password encrypted form’)

This function return 1 if plain text and hash value  are matched else return o.

For example

Lets suppose we have created a table with 3 columns like userId, username and password

as shown below

DECLARE @tblLogin AS TABLE (UserId INT IDENTITY,
                            Username  VARCHAR(100),
                            EncryptedPassword NVARCHAR(MAX))

Now suppose we have inserted 2 rows in to it wit encrypted password

INSERT INTO @tblLogin VALUES ('Indiandotnet',PWDENCRYPT(N'MyPassword'))
INSERT INTO @tblLogin VALUES ('SQLRaaga', PWDENCRYPT(N'Test'))

Now, Suppose we have want to write a query which return rows from @tbllogin whose password is Test then it should return SQL Raaga for this

I have to write following query

SELECT * FROM @tblLogin WHERE PWDCOMPARE(N'Test',EncryptedPassword) = 1

For detail  take a look of below snap

 

I hope you understand with above provided  example.

 

Enjoy !!!

RJ!!

Easy way to diagnose SQL Server “sp_Who2” TIP #84

 

Why the SQL Server is running slow ?

What are the processes running currently on SQL SERVER instance ?

Many other like the above which might help us to understand our current SQL Server instance health can be answered by a simple command “sp_who2”.

“sp_Who2”  is an Undocumented command. You can utilize this command to check current status of your SQL SERVER.

We can run this stored procedure directly in Management studio.

See below snap for detail

if you see above snap you will find the sp_who2 providing login detail, database name, command action which is currently applied , CPU time, DiskIO etc.

You can easily find which spId consuming highest CPU,DISKIO etc.

I hope this stored procedure might help you.

Thanks

RJ