Policy Management

Abstract

Policy Management (PM) is a policy-based framework for SQL Server. This book will use “PM,” but the formal term has recently been changed to “policy-based management” (PBM). This policy engine can be thought of much like the group policy feature within the Windows operating system. With Windows group policies, administrators create policies like “user passwords must be a certain length” and “the client machine must not allow the installation of applications.” Users and other resources can then be grouped into organizational units (OUs), and these policies can be applied to one or more OUs. PM within SQL Server allows database administrators (DBAs) to create SQL Server policies and deploy these policies across multiple servers. Examples of SQL Server policies include “ensure xp_cmdshell is never enabled on the server” and “ensure data and log files do not reside on the same drive.”