Azure SQL
Rotating Admin/Regular Azure SQL Database Users with Keeper
Overview
In this guide, you'll learn how to rotate passwords for Azure SQL Database Users and Admin accounts on your Azure environment using Keeper Rotation. Azure SQL is an Azure managed resource where the SQL Admin Credentials are defined in the PAM Database record type and the configurations of the SQL Users are defined in the PAM User record type.
For Azure Managed SQL database, the Azure SDK will be used to rotate the password of Database Admin Accounts. To rotate the passwords of Regular Database Users, Keeper connects to the DB instance with the provided admin credentials and executes the necessary SQL statements to change the password. For a high-level overview on the rotation process in the Azure network, visit this page.
Prerequisites
This guide assumes the following tasks have already taken place:
Keeper Secrets Manager is enabled for your enterprise and your role
Keeper Rotation is enabled for your role
A Keeper Secrets Manager application has been created
A Keeper Rotation gateway is already installed, running, and is able to communicate with your Azure SQL Server Database
If the Gateway is installed on a Linux or macOS server, install the Microsoft ODBC driver
Your Azure environment is configured per our document
1. Set up a PAM Database Record
The PAM Database record contains the admin credentials and necessary configurations to connect to the SQL Server on Azure. Keeper Rotation will use these provided configurations to rotate passwords of regular database user accounts in the Azure SQL Server instance. These provided admin credentials need to also have sufficient database permissions to successfully change the credentials of the database user accounts.
The following table lists all the required fields on the PAM Database Record:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Title | Keeper record title Ex: |
Hostname or IP Address | The Database Server name i.e |
Port | For default ports, see port mapping
Ex: |
Use SSL | Check to perform SSL verification before connecting, if your database has SSL configured |
Login | Admin account username that will perform rotation. If the admin in the DB user table is in a Host other than %, add the Host value to the user name as |
Password | Admin account password |
Connect Database | Optional database that will be used when connecting to the database server.
For example, MS SQL server requires a database and so this will default to |
Database ID | Name of the Azure Database Server i.e. |
Database Type |
|
Provider Group | Azure Resource group name |
Provider Region | Azure Resource region i.e. |
Note: Adding Provider Group, Provider Region, and Database ID will enable managing the PAM Database Record through the Azure SDK.
This PAM Database Record with the admin credential needs to be in a shared folder that is shared to the KSM application created in the pre-requisites. Only the KSM application needs access to this privileged account, it does not need to be shared with any users.
2. Set up PAM Configuration
If you already have a PAM Configuration for your Azure environment, you can simply add the additional Resource Credentials required for rotating machine users to the existing PAM Configuration.
If you are creating a new PAM Configuration, login to the Keeper Vault and select "Secrets Manager", then select the "PAM Configurations" tab, and click on "New Configuration". The following table lists all the required fields on the PAM Configuration Record:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Title | Configuration name, example: |
Environment | Select: |
Gateway | Select the Gateway that is configured on the Keeper Secrets Manager application and has network access to your Azure SQL database from the pre-requisites |
Application Folder | Select the Shared folder that contains the PAM Database record in Step 1 |
Admin Credentials Record | Select the PAM Database record created in Step 1 This is the record with the admin credentials and sufficient permissions to rotate the directory user account's credentials |
Azure ID | A unique ID for this instance of Azure. This is for your reference and can be anything, but its recommended to be kept short
Ex: |
Client ID | The unique Application (client) ID assigned to your app by Azure AD when the application was registered |
Client Secret | The client credentials secret for the Azure application |
Subscription ID | The UUID that identifies your subscription (i.e. Pay-As-You-GO) to use Azure services. |
Tenant ID | The UUID of the Azure Active Directory |
For more details on all the configurable fields in the PAM Network Configuration record, visit this page.
3. Set up one or more PAM User records
Keeper Rotation will use the credentials in the PAM Database record to rotate the PAM User records on your Azure environment. The PAM User credential needs to be in a shared folder that is shared to the KSM application created in the prerequisites.
The following table lists all the required fields on the PAM User record:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
Title | Keeper record title i.e. |
Login | Case sensitive username of the account being rotated. If the user in the DB user table is in a Host other than %, add the Host value to the user name as |
Password | Account password is optional, rotation will set one if blank |
Connect Database | Optional database that will be used when connecting to the database server.
For example, MS SQL server requires a database and so this will default to |
4. Configure Rotation on the Record - Azure SQL DB User
Select the PAM User record(s) from Step 3, edit the record and open the "Password Rotation Settings".
Select the desired schedule and password complexity.
The "Rotation Settings" should use the PAM Configuration setup previously.
The "Resource Credential" field should select the PAM Database credential setup from Step 1.
Upon saving, the rotation button will be enabled and available to rotate on demand, or via the selected schedule.
Any user with edit rights to a PAM User record has the ability to setup rotation for that record.
If the desired Admin Credential is not showing in the rotation settings screen, go to Secrets Manager > PAM Configuration > and add the necessary resource credentials.
5. Configure Rotation on the Record - Azure SQL DB Admin
Select the PAM Database record from Step 1, edit the record and open the "Password Rotation Settings".
Select the desired schedule and password complexity.
The "Rotation Settings" should use the PAM Configuration setup previously.
The "Resource Credential" field should select the PAM Database credential setup from Step 1.
Upon saving, the rotation button will be enabled and available to rotate on demand, or via the selected schedule.
If the desired Admin Credential is not showing in the rotation settings screen, go to Secrets Manager > PAM Configuration > and add the necessary resource credentials.
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