Keeping Customer From Accessing My Database? 567
cyteen02 writes "We run a data processing and tracking system for a customer in the UK. We provide a simple Web site where the customer can display the tracking data held in our Oracle database. From these screens they can query based on a combination of 15 different data fields, so it's pretty flexible. We also provide a csv report overnight of the previous day's data processing, which they can load into their own SQL Server database and produce whatever reports they want. Occasionally they also want one-off specific detailed reports, so we write the SQL for that and send them the results in an Excel format spreadsheet. This all ticks along happily. However they have now asked for direct read-only access to our Oracle database, to be able to run ad-hoc queries without consulting us. As a DBA, my heart sinks at the thought of amateurs pawing through my database. Unfortunately, 'because you are stupid' is not considered a valid business reason to reject their request. So can any Slashdotters assist me in building my case to restrict access? Have you experienced a similar situation? Have you had to support this sort of end user access? How would you advice me to keep my customer away from my precious tables?"
Suggestion (Score:5, Funny)
(It's two a.m. here, I bet somebody'll point out some completely idiotic assumption I made in about two seconds. Oh well, so it goes.)
Oracle DBA (Score:3, Funny)
Anyhow, you never give end users direct access to tables. Never. Users who create nice cross joined tables will bring your system down to a crawl Create data dumps to ancillary database -- one per company in this case. And that is if your management won't back you up in just saying "no". I know this much, and I am NOT a DBA.
Before you give them access (Score:3, Funny)
Just say yes (Score:2, Funny)
ummm.... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:A simple suggestion (Score:2, Funny)
select bt.* from big_table bt, bigger_table bbt, biggest_table bbbt where bt.id=bbt.bt_id order by non_indexed_column;
Perhaps a good left outer join tossed in there to really thrash the drives.
if you want to make it less obvious feel free to throw in a few FIRST_ROWs, RANKs and DISTINCTs
Re:Suggestion (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Reporting Database (Score:5, Funny)
You just violated the MS-SQL license.
Re:Yeah (Score:4, Funny)
One that works for EDS, who are famous for their incompetence. Next question!
Re:A simple suggestion (Score:5, Funny)
Just use naked racism (Score:1, Funny)
Then put a white sheet over the server and a noose from the CDROM tray.
Re:A simple suggestion (Score:3, Funny)
Re:A simple suggestion (Score:5, Funny)
You hit the nail on the head.