Requires that only FIPS-approved algorithms should be used for strong database and communication encryption.

Syntax

{ dbsrv11 | dbeng11 } -fips ...

Applies to

Windows

Remarks

Specifying this option forces all server encryption to use FIPS-approved algorithms. This option applies to strong database encryption, client/server transport-layer security, and web services transport-layer security. You can still use unencrypted connections and databases when the -fips option is specified, but you cannot use simple encryption.

For strong database encryption, the -fips option causes new databases to use the AES_FIPS type, even if AES is specified in the ALGORITHM clause of the CREATE DATABASE statement.

When the database server is started with -fips, you can run databases encrypted with AES, AES256, AES_FIPS, or AES256_FIPS strong encryption, but not databases encrypted with simple encryption. Unencrypted databases can also be started on the server when -fips is specified.

The SQL Anywhere security option must be installed on any computer used to run a database encrypted with AES_FIPS or AES256_FIPS.

For SQL Anywhere transport-layer security, the -fips option causes the server to use the FIPS-approved RSA encryption cipher, even if RSA is specified. If ECC is specified, an error occurs because a FIPS-approved elliptic-curve algorithm is not available.

For transport-layer security for web services, the -fips option causes the server to use HTTPS FIPS, even if HTTPS is specified.

When you specify -fips, the ENCRYPT and HASH functions use the FIPS-approved RSA encryption cipher, and password hashing uses the SHA-256 FIPS algorithm rather than the SHA-256 algorithm.

See also

• Strong encryption
• Transport-layer security
• Encrypting SQL Anywhere web services
• -ec server option
• ENCRYPT function [String]
• HASH function [String]