Ingres Database Reference
Document #: US-38901,EN
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Major subject: analysis Minor subjects: tech_notes
Keywords: dba_guide
Abstract:
The "Changing Ownership of Databases and Database Objects"
chapter of the INGRES Database Administrator's Guide. Equivalent
to Release 6 Technical Notes #18 and #20, or Release 5 notes
#18, #19, #24.
Expert note:
Changing Ownership of Databases and Database Objects
====================================================
Overview
--------
It is sometimes necessary to change the ownership of a
database or user object, or to move it to a different
database. This chapter gives procedures for changing the
ownership of databases and user objects.
o What is Ownership?
o Objects Whose Ownership Can Be Changed
o Changing Ownership of a Database Object
o Changing Ownership of a Table
o Changing Ownership of a Form
o Changing Ownership of a Report
o Changing Ownership of a Graph
o Changing Ownership of a Database
What is Ownership?
------------------
INGRES supports an ownership scheme for databases, the
individual tables that make up the database, and related
user objects. User objects include forms, reports, and
graphs.
The hierarchy of ownership involves three different user
classes: the INGRES superuser, the DBA, and the end user.
Each class entails a different set of ownership privileges,
discussed in the INGRES Database Administrator's Guide. Two
important rules are that objects cannot be shared:
o Among users unless the objects are owned by the DBA
o Between databases
User objects created by the DBA can be used by anyone who
has access to the database. Objects created by anyone other
than the DBA are considered private. (ABF applications and
the objects they contain are an exception, in that they are
always globally accessible.) To make a private object
accessible to anyone other than its creator, the ownership
of the object must be transferred to the DBA.
Objects Whose Ownership Can Be Changed
--------------------------------------
This chapter describes changing the ownership of the
following user objects:
o Tables -- ownership of a table in a database, created
through the tables utility, the terminal monitor, or an
embedded query language program.
o Forms -- ownership of a form, created through VIFRED
o Reports -- ownership of a report, created through RBF
or Report-Writer
o Graphs -- ownership of a graph, created through VIGRAPH
o Databases -- ownership of a database in its entirety
These procedures do not include changing ownership of
database procedures.
Changing Ownership of a Database Object
---------------------------------------
When changing ownership of an object, you use an appropriate
copy variation ('copydb', 'copyform', 'copyrep',
'copygraph') twice, to:
o Copy out the object from the database into an
intermediate file
o Copy in the object under new ownership
The copy varies according to the database object. These
variations are described in the individual sections below.
Here is the procedure for changing ownership of an object:
1. Take the following preparatory steps:
Make certain that there is a current backup of the
database.
Insure that the new user does not already own a similar
object with the same name as that of the object whose
ownership you wish to change. In that case, the
existing duplicate object MUST be destroyed before
proceeding.
Caution
If you fail to do this, the new object, owned by
the new user, will not be successfully created,
and you may potentially corrupt the existing
object with unwanted data.
2. Log in as the DBA of the database (or a superuser).
3. Use the relevant copy ('copydb', 'copyform, 'copyrep,
'copygraph') command to copy the object out of the
database into an intermediate file.
4. Then, using the copy ('copydb', 'copyform, 'copyrep',
'copygraph') command in input mode, copy the
intermediate file back into the database using the '-u'
flag to specify a different owner. An INGRES superuser
or the DBA of the database may use this flag.
5. There will now be two copies of the object in the
database, one owned by the original owner and one owned
by the new owner. To remove the original object, the
DBA or superuser logs into the applicable user
interface as the original owner (by using the '-u'
flag) and deletes the original object.
The different copy versions command required for specific
user objects are discussed in the sections below.
Changing Ownership of a Table
-----------------------------
Because only tables owned by the DBA can be accessed by
others, it is often necessary to transfer ownership of a
private table to the DBA. While the usual purpose is
changing from private ownership to public access, the
procedure can be used to change ownership of a table from
any current owner to any new owner.
Using Copydb, Copy.out and Copy.in
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For changing ownership of a table, you give three commands:
First you use a 'copydb' command to create two executable
scripts, 'copy.out' and 'copy.in'. A minimal form of the
'copydb' command for this purpose is:
copydb -u
You use an 'sql' command in the following format to execute
the 'copy.out' script. This command copies the table from
the database, with the current ownership, into an
intermediate binary file in your current directory:
sql -u ]
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