sa password change, is it required with CHECK_POLICY=ON

  • SQL server 2005 with Windows Server 2003 R2

    During installation of SQL Server 2005, sa login was created, sa id is not used by any one; however sa is the dbo of master, msdb, model & tempdb.

    Scripting of the sa id shows:

    CREATE LOGIN [sa] WITH PASSWORD=N'...', DEFAULT_DATABASE=[master], DEFAULT_LANGUAGE=[us_english], CHECK_EXPIRATION=OFF, CHECK_POLICY=ON

    GO

    EXEC sys.sp_addsrvrolemember @loginame = N'sa', @rolename = N'sysadmin'

    GO

    Windows password change policy was never implemented for years, now they require it, and the policy kicked in couple of weeks ago.

    SQL Server services run under local system, with no password expiration.

    All ID's are windows authenticated, except for this sa ID.

    Is it necessary for me to change the sa password?

    What sort of problems are expected if I do not change or do change.

    SQL Server crashes some times when a stored procedure is run which uses Oracle linked server, at other times same procedures run fine under the same conditions!! IE, when they are executed via SQL Server Management studio.

    I did change the windows ID that is in the linked server that gets mapped to Oracle ID (Oracle ID does not conform to password policy, it is on unix server anyway).

    Unable to explain these crashes.

    Thanks in advance.

  • samiam914 (6/13/2010)


    Is it necessary for me to change the sa password?

    What sort of problems are expected if I do not change or do change.

    It is not necessary but recommended to change it , if you feel that some anonymous people know it (which shouldnt be) then you must change it

    secondly if wont effect anythiing unless you are using it at places where it is specified or hard coded.

    -------Bhuvnesh----------
    I work only to learn Sql Server...though my company pays me for getting their stuff done;-)

  • Thank You. Some what related question - if a windows ID (in sql server setup as windows authentication) has sysadmin authority and it is the owner of a database, when windows password changes, is there something that needs to be done in sql server. Database is not encrypted in this case.

  • samiam914 (6/14/2010)


    Is there something that needs to be done in sql server.

    NO

    -------Bhuvnesh----------
    I work only to learn Sql Server...though my company pays me for getting their stuff done;-)

  • Thank You.

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