Professional Microsoft® SQL Server® Analysis Services 2008 with MDX

22.4. Summary

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you! That should be your mantra as you ponder the possibilities in the security space. In this chapter, you have seen many possible approaches to keeping your data secure. You learned about applying permissions to your relational data sources to help keep them secure, and about how you can restrict access to data in your Analysis Services databases using one of two types of restriction — dimension security and cell security. You learned the techniques of applying dimension security, like how to define roles and how to manage security in a dynamic business environment. Further, you learned about the relevant design choices and how they can be implemented in a real business scenario. Specifically, you learned five different approaches to secure dimension data using the user-role approach, the access-role approach, the member property approach, security measure group approach, and the external function approach. You learned how to apply cell security to restrict data at the cell level for certain defined roles at your company using the poll results scenario. That technique can prevent members of the targeted roles from seeing confidential information. With all that information and the samples demonstrated in this chapter, you should have a good grasp of the techniques and challenges associated with security in SQL Server Analysis Services 2008.