CREATE ENCRYPTED FILE

[Former Member]

Is it possible to change a database from having no encryption to having simple encryption using the CREATE ENCRYPTED FILE command? Or must you use dbunload or dbinit flags and create a new database file?

[former_SQLA_member1694870]

The description of the statement is that the CREATE ENCRYPTED FILE statement will create a new file and it does not replace the previous version of the file.

"You can also encrypt an existing database or change an existing encryption key by unloading and reloading the database using the dbunload -an option with either -ek or -ep".

HTH

[VolkerBarth]

As always, telling the version (and build) is quite helpful:)

[Former Member]

Thanks for the information guys. We are using SQL Anywhere Network Server Version 10.0.1.3831.

[VolkerBarth]

To sum up:

With v10.0.1, I would conclude that the answer is: "Unfortunately no, you will have to use an unload", as

1. that nice CREATE ENCRYPTED DATABASE feature is not available before 11.0.1 and
2. CREATE ENCRYPTED FILE does not support simple encryption.

[VolkerBarth]

Starting with 11.0.1, you can use the CREATE ENCRYPTED DATABASE statement to create a new database (with all necessary files) from a not encrypted (or differently encrypted one). That does not require a reload.

As to the docs, that does also allow to change from no encryption to simple encryption.

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EDIT 1: To answer your actual question, the same should be possible in older versions with CREATE ENCRYPTED FILE (so you should not need to do an unload) - but you have to take care to adapt all necessary files yourself.

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EDIT 2: As Graeme has pointed out, CREATE ENCRYPTED FILE does not support simple encryption. So I stand corrected...

[graeme_perrow]

Just to clarify - no, you cannot use create encrypted file to create a database file encrypted with simple encryption. But as Volker says, you can use create encrypted database. The create encrypted database statement is much easier anyway.