Policy In SQL server 2008

Policy Management in SQL Server 2008
Yes, it’s true. SQL Server 2008 introduces a new feature known as the Policy-Based
Management. This framework allows you to define policies on a variety of objects and then
either manually or automatically prevent changes based on said policies. Management is also
very simple using SQL Server Management Studio (preferred), or you can write your own
code to manage policies. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.
This management framework allows you to easily and proactively manage a variety of policies,
ranging from security to metadata. It does this in two ways:
It allows you to monitor changes to these policies, with options to manually check policies,
check policies on schedule, check policies on change and log violations, or check
policies on change and prevent the change if the policy is violated.
It allows you to manage one or more SQL Server instances on a single server or across
multiple servers.
Rather than waiting for something to go awry, you can set policies based on your server
specifications and then have the framework proactively prevent changes based on these
policies or inform you via policy logs when these policies are being violated. The ability to
prevent certain changes depends on the type of feature, or facet, for which you are creating
a policy. For example, if you want to ensure that xp_cmdshell is never turned on for any sever
you are managing, you can create a policy and have it inform you when a change occurs or
even have it check for changes on a schedule, but you cannot prevent it from being changed.
The ability to prevent changes varies from facet to facet.