Utility Database Server Security

Sybase IQ includes a phantom database, called the utility database, that has no physical representation.

There is no database file for this database and the database can contain no data. The utility database can run on any Sybase IQ server. In Sybase Central, the server for the utility database is known as the Utility Server.

The utility database permits a narrow range of specialized functions. It is provided so that you can execute database file manipulation statements such as CREATE DATABASE and DROP DATABASE without first connecting to a physical database.

You can also retrieve database and connection properties from the utility database. These properties apply to databases you create when connected to the utility database.

• Starting the Utility Database
  You cannot specify a database file when starting the utility database, because no database file is associated with that database.
• Defining the Utility Database Password
  To use the utility database, you must specify the user ID DBA.
• Permission to Execute File Administration Statements
  To provide additional database security, a separate level of security controls creating and dropping databases. The -gu database server command-line option controls who can execute the file administration statements.