Anyone else having SQL Prompt become useless due to revoked or limited access to master db?
echovault
Posts: 3 New member
According to Pete Ruiz with RedGate support. SQL Prompt requires full access to the master database in order to work. Our DBA group recently restricted access to the sysservers table, which is used by SQL Prompt to read the Linked Server definitions. Unfortunately this happens early in the load-suggestion process, so when it fails, SQL Prompt just bails, and not gracefully. Since I can still view/expand the Linked Servers node in SSMS, there are obviously other ways to achieve this with the same permissions. The crackdown was a result of an outside audit/penetration test, and I'd be willing to bet more users will start to see the same.
I’m sad to say that I let myself become so dependent on SQL Prompt as a top-of-the-line developer tool, since it seems the direction being taken is for administrators, rather than developers. I can tell you that line-for-line I write a thousand times more SQL code than any DBA in our organization. Administrative tasks are well defined and the code already standardized. Wonderful as it is, our DBA group just has no use for it. The beauty of a tool like SQL Prompt is for developers to quickly write nicely formatted code to solve problems beyond the scope of database administration. It’s unfortunate to see that change.
Answers
I raised your concern again with our team of developers and they've advised that they will revisit and review this over the next coming weeks. There are no guarantees that anything will be changed but I will keep you posted on what decisions are made going forward. I'll put our support ticket on hold for now and will get back to you with any future updates. Again, so sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.
Please do let me know if you have any questions.
Kind regards,
Pete Ruiz
Redgate Product Support