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SQL Data Warehouse: ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL command for rotating storage keys

Published date: 02 February, 2018

The ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL command is now supported for Azure SQL Data Warehouse. 

It is a security best practice with Azure Storage to use rotating keys. SQL Data Warehouse uses storage account keys to define external data sources and enable users to load data from various storage accounts. When these credentials change, underlying objects which rely on this external data source definition have to be updated.

Users no longer have to drop and re-create objects which rely on external data sources when new keys are introduced. Rotating storage keys is now as simple as changing the credential secret by using ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL.

Example:

The original key is created.

CREATE DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL my_credential WITH IDENTITY = 'my_identity' [ , SECRET = 'key1' ]

Rotate key from key 1 to key 2.

ALTER DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL my_credential WITH IDENTITY = 'my_identity' [ , SECRET = 'key2' ]

No other changes to underlying external data sources are needed.

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