CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY (Transact-SQL)

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Managed Instance Analytics Platform System (PDW)

Creates an encryption key that is used for transparently encrypting a database. For more information about transparent data encryption (TDE), see Transparent Data Encryption (TDE).

Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

-- Syntax for SQL Server  

CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY  
       WITH ALGORITHM = { AES_128 | AES_192 | AES_256 | TRIPLE_DES_3KEY }  
   ENCRYPTION BY SERVER   
    {  
        CERTIFICATE Encryptor_Name |  
        ASYMMETRIC KEY Encryptor_Name  
    }  
[ ; ]  

-- Syntax for Parallel Data Warehouse  

CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY  
       WITH ALGORITHM = { AES_128 | AES_192 | AES_256 | TRIPLE_DES_3KEY }  
   ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE Encryptor_Name   
[ ; ]  

Arguments

WITH ALGORITHM = { AES_128 | AES_192 | AES_256 | TRIPLE_DES_3KEY }
Specifies the encryption algorithm that is used for the encryption key.

Warning

Beginning with SQL Server 2016, all algorithms other than AES_128, AES_192, and AES_256 are deprecated. To use older algorithms (not recommended) you must set the database to database compatibility level 120 or lower.

ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE Encryptor_Name
Specifies the name of the encryptor used to encrypt the database encryption key.

ENCRYPTION BY SERVER ASYMMETRIC KEY Encryptor_Name
Specifies the name of the asymmetric key used to encrypt the database encryption key. In order to encrypt the database encryption key with an asymmetric key, the asymmetric key must reside on an extensible key management provider.

Remarks

A database encryption key is required before a database can be encrypted by using transparent data encryption (TDE). When a database is transparently encrypted, the whole database is encrypted at the file level, without any special code modifications. The certificate or asymmetric key that is used to encrypt the database encryption key must be located in the master system database.

Certificates or asymmetric keys used for TDE are limited to a private key size of 3072 bits.

Database encryption statements are allowed only on user databases.

The database encryption key cannot be exported from the database. It is available only to the system, to users who have debugging permissions on the server, and to users who have access to the certificates that encrypt and decrypt the database encryption key.

The database encryption key does not have to be regenerated when a database owner (dbo) is changed.

A database encryption key is automatically created for a SQL Database database. You do not need to create a key using the CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY statement.

Permissions

Requires CONTROL permission on the database and VIEW DEFINITION permission on the certificate or asymmetric key that is used to encrypt the database encryption key.

Examples

For additional examples using TDE, see Transparent Data Encryption (TDE), Enable TDE on SQL Server Using EKM, and Extensible Key Management Using Azure Key Vault (SQL Server).

The following example creates a database encryption key by using the AES_256 algorithm, and protects the private key with a certificate named MyServerCert.

USE AdventureWorks2022;  
GO  
CREATE DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY  
WITH ALGORITHM = AES_256  
ENCRYPTION BY SERVER CERTIFICATE MyServerCert;  
GO  

See Also

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE)
SQL Server Encryption
SQL Server and Database Encryption Keys (Database Engine)
Encryption Hierarchy
ALTER DATABASE SET Options (Transact-SQL)
ALTER DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY (Transact-SQL)
DROP DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY (Transact-SQL)
sys.dm_database_encryption_keys (Transact-SQL)