Securing Analysis Services

This document provides comprehensive guidance on securing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) to protect your data and ensure authorized access.

Understanding Security Concepts

Analysis Services employs a multi-layered security model, combining Windows authentication, server roles, database roles, and object-level permissions. Understanding these components is crucial for effective security configuration.

Authentication and Authorization

• Windows Authentication: SSAS primarily relies on Windows authentication for connecting to the server. Ensure your Active Directory or local security groups are properly configured.
• Server Roles: Define roles at the server level to grant or deny administrative privileges to users or groups. This includes roles like Administrator.
• Database Roles: Within each Analysis Services database, you can create custom roles to manage access to specific data and objects.

Permissions

Permissions are assigned to roles and control what actions users can perform and what data they can access. Key permission types include:

• Read: Allows users to browse and query data.
• Read Definition: Allows users to view the metadata of objects (like cubes, dimensions) without seeing the data itself.
• Read Contributor: Allows users to read data and also process dimensions and cubes.
• Full Control: Grants complete administrative control over the database.

Implementing Security Best Practices

Follow these best practices to ensure your Analysis Services environment is secure:

1. Principle of Least Privilege

Grant users and roles only the minimum permissions necessary to perform their tasks. Avoid granting excessive privileges, especially Full Control, unless absolutely required.

2. Utilize Windows Groups

Manage permissions by assigning users to Windows security groups. This simplifies administration and ensures consistent access control.

3. Configure Server Roles Carefully

Restrict Administrator role membership to a very small group of trusted IT professionals. For most users, server-level read access is sufficient.

4. Define Granular Database Roles

Create specific roles for different user groups (e.g., Sales Analysts, Finance Managers) and assign them appropriate permissions on cubes, dimensions, and measures.

5. Secure Sensitive Data

Use dimension security and cell security features to restrict access to specific rows in dimensions or specific values within cubes.

Dimension Security

Dimension security allows you to filter data based on attribute members. For example, a sales manager might only be allowed to see sales data for their specific region.

Cell Security

Cell security provides granular control over individual data cells within a cube. This is useful for scenarios where specific cells contain highly confidential information.

6. Audit Access and Activity

Regularly review security configurations and audit logs to monitor who is accessing your Analysis Services data and what actions they are performing.

Configuration Steps

Setting Server-Level Permissions

You can configure server roles using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).

1. Connect to the Analysis Services instance in SSMS.
2. Right-click the server instance and select Properties.
3. Navigate to the Security page.
4. Add or remove Windows users and groups to/from the Server roles list.

Setting Database-Level Permissions

Database roles are configured within each Analysis Services database.

1. Connect to the Analysis Services database in SSMS.
2. Right-click the database and select New Role.
3. Define the role name and membership.
4. Navigate to the Permissions tab and select the appropriate permissions (e.g., Read, Read Definition, Read Contributor, Full Control).
5. To configure object-level permissions within a database role, select Permissions and then choose specific objects (cubes, dimensions, etc.) to grant or deny access to.

Configuring Dimension Security

1. In SSMS, expand the database, then Dimensions.
2. Right-click the dimension you want to secure and select New Dimension Security Role.
3. Define the role name, membership, and assign Read permission.
4. Under the Dimension Security tab, select the attribute and specify allowed members for the role.

Example Scenario: Sales Reporting Security

Imagine you have a Sales cube. You want to grant the Sales team read access to all data, but the Regional Managers should only see data for their respective regions.

• Sales Team Role: Grant Read permission on the Sales cube.
• Regional Manager Role:
  • Grant Read permission on the Sales cube.
  • Configure Dimension Security on the 'Region' dimension to allow members to see only their assigned region.