CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER (Transact-SQL)

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Managed Instance

Creates a cryptographic provider within SQL Server from an Extensible Key Management (EKM) provider.

Transact-SQL syntax conventions

Syntax

CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER provider_name   
    FROM FILE = path_of_DLL  

Arguments

provider_name
Is the name of the Extensible Key Management provider.

path_of_DLL
Is the path of the .dll file that implements the SQL Server Extensible Key Management interface. When using the SQL Server Connector for Microsoft Azure Key Vault the default location is 'C:\Program Files\SQL Server Connector for Microsoft Azure Key Vault\Microsoft.AzureKeyVaultService.EKM.dll'.

Remarks

All keys created by a provider will reference the provider by its GUID. The GUID is retained across all versions of the DLL.

The DLL that implements SQLEKM interface must be digitally signed by using any certificate. SQL Server will verify the signature. This includes its certificate chain, which must have its root installed at the Trusted Root Cert Authorities location on a Windows system. If the signature is not verified correctly, the CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER statement will fail. For more information about certificates and certificate chains, see SQL Server Certificates and Asymmetric Keys.

When an EKM provider dll does not implement all of the necessary methods, CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER can return error 33085:

One or more methods cannot be found in cryptographic provider library '%.*ls'.

When the header file used to create the EKM provider dll is out of date, CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER can return error 33032:

SQL Crypto API version '%02d.%02d' implemented by provider is not supported. Supported version is '%02d.%02d'.

Permissions

Requires CONTROL SERVER permission or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.

Examples

The following example creates a cryptographic provider called SecurityProvider in SQL Server from a .dll file. The .dll file is named c:\SecurityProvider\SecurityProvider_v1.dll and it is installed on the server. The provider's certificate must first be installed on the server.

-- Install the provider  
CREATE CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER SecurityProvider  
    FROM FILE = 'C:\SecurityProvider\SecurityProvider_v1.dll';  

See Also

Extensible Key Management (EKM)
ALTER CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER (Transact-SQL)
DROP CRYPTOGRAPHIC PROVIDER (Transact-SQL)
CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)
Extensible Key Management Using Azure Key Vault (SQL Server)
Set up SQL Server TDE Extensible Key Management by using Azure Key Vault
sys.cryptographic_providers
sys.dm_cryptographic_provider_properties