Owner Names

The MicroKernel allows you to restrict access to files by specifying an owner name. Because owner names are optional, the files you use with the utility may or may not require an owner name. Owner names are case-sensitive.

Conceptually, owner names are like passwords. They are not the same as user or group names, which you can set in the PCC. For example, an owner name of “Master” is not the same as the default user Master.

A “short” owner name can be up to 8 bytes. A “long” owner name can be up to 24 bytes. Note, however, that once a long owner name is specified, the data file cannot be read by a database engine prior to Pervasive PSQL v10.10. Also, a data file with a long owner name cannot be rebuilt to a file format prior to 9.5 unless the owner name is first removed. An owner name, long or short, with less than the maximum allowed bytes is padded with spaces to the maximum length (8 or 24 bytes).

With relational access, an ODBC error results if you attempt to manipulate a table that is restricted by an owner name. (For example in the PCC, if you double-click the table name or attempt to delete the table.) You can supply owner names with the GRANT statement or the SET OWNER statement.

Use the GRANT statement to grant access to a particular user or group, and then manipulate the table via relational access through ODBC. The Master user must supply the GRANT statement with the correct owner name. See GRANT in SQL Engine Reference.

Use SET OWNER to specify one or more owner names to use during the current database connection. See SET OWNER in SQL Engine Reference.

Owner Names Tasks

Owner names can be set and cleared.

Setting or Clearing an Owner Name

You set an owner name to restrict access to a data file. You clear an owner name to remove the access restriction.

Note: You can also use a GRANT statement to supply an owner name. See Owner Name in SQL Engine Reference. PCC currently does not provide a way to specify an owner name through the security properties of a file.

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To set or clear an owner name

Click OptionsSet - Clear Owner from the menu bar. The Set - Clear Owner Name dialog appears.

Figure 26 Set/Clear Owner Name Dialog

In the MicroKernel File box, specify the file for which you want to set or clear an owner name. Then, to clear the owner name, click Clear Owner and specify the file’s owner name in the Current Owner field.

To set the owner name, click Set Owner, specify the file’s new owner name in the New Owner field, then select any desired options.

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Select Permit read-only access without an owner name to allow all users read-only access to the data file.

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Select Encrypt data in file to ensure that unauthorized users do not examine your data using a debugger or a file dump utility. Only select this option if data security is important to your environment because encryption and decryption require additional processing time.

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Select Long Owner Name to create an owner name up to 24 bytes. (A “short” owner name can be up to 8 bytes.) Once a long owner name is specified, the data file cannot be read by a database engine prior to Pervasive PSQL v10.10. Also, a data file with a long owner name cannot be rebuilt to a file format prior to 9.5 unless the owner name is first removed.

Click Execute to apply the options.