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Table definition unknown

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:57 am
by marco.mir
Hello,

I have a problem with a table definition. I know only some columns of a table, I don't know if there are other columns besides the one I know. I can't get access to the database, because nobody knows the password, even if there is password on Administrator (but it is encrypted).

If I want to know if there are other columns on my table, how can I do? Is it possibile to make a select * from table? And what should I write in column names?

Thanks in advance-

Re: Table definition unknown

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:10 am
by chulett
marco.mir wrote:I can't get access to the database, because nobody knows the password, even if there is password on Administrator (but it is encrypted).
That's your hurdle... without access to the database, everything else is moot. So, is this a database you "own"? If so, as DBA should be able to assign a new password.

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:14 am
by BI-RMA
Copy the table to a dataset or to a table you create in a database you have got access to.

Use Runtime Column Propagation (needs to be enabled for the project in Administrator and on the Output-page of the DB-Stage).

Specify 'select * from tablename' as custom-SQL and leave the Schema-definition (Column-list) empty.

After that you can import the table-definition from the newly created dataset/db-table.

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:21 am
by chulett
OK... so you have the password encrypted in the jobs but no-one locally knows what it is? Phil Hibbs has a utility that will (amongst other things) decrypt them, let me see if I can find it.

And no RCP in Server, I'm afraid.

Found it here: viewtopic.php?t=132851

Re: Table definition unknown

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:23 am
by BI-RMA
chulett wrote:So, is this a database you "own"? If so, as DBA should be able to assign a new password.
I assumed what you are doing is legal. Otherwise the password should not be available as a project-variable, either. :wink:

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:27 am
by chulett
I don't see what could be considered "illegal" about it, never mind the fact that the password is encrypted. Usually the password in question is specific to the ETL functional user, so it's not like there would be far-reaching unknown consequences to having it reset. Hopefully. :wink:

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 7:27 am
by BI-RMA
chulett wrote:And no RCP in Server, I'm afraid.
Very true, unfortunately.

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 11:31 am
by arunkumarmm
Craig,

Isn't that easy to retrieve a password encrypted in ENV variables? When I dont know the password and if it is available in ENV variables, I assign it to a file name in the seq file stage and try to view it. I will have the password in the returned error message.

Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 12:49 pm
by chulett
Sure, there are games like that you can play to expose passwords, using them in any fashion that requires them to be decrypted with passed. Forgot that little nugget. :wink:

Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2011 4:29 am
by marco.mir
BI-RMA wrote:Copy the table to a dataset or to a table you create in a database you have got access to.

Use Runtime Column Propagation (needs to be enabled for the project in Administrator and on the Output-page of the DB-Stage).

Specify 'select * from tablename' as custom-SQL and leave the Schema-definition (Column-list) empty.

After that you can import the table-definition from the newly created dataset/db-table.


Thank you! Your solution is good :wink: infact password is encrypted but I can use it as a parameter from Administrator, so even if I have to use server job, I can make a parallel job with that parameter to connect to the db and to use RCP (there isn't RCP in server jobs).