Endpoints Lesson 17

Skills Matrix

Endpoints Endpoints provide a reliable, securable, scalable messaging system that enables SQL Server to communicate over the network. –Endpoints provide a reliable, securable, scalable messaging system that enables SQL Server to communicate over the network. –For database mirroring, a server instance requires its own dedicated database mirroring endpoint. –SQL Server exposes native XML Web services through the database engine by configuring and creating HTTP endpoints.

Endpoints

HTTP Endpoints SQL Server exposes native XML Web services through the database engine by configuring and creating HTTP endpoints. To enable native HTTP SOAP requests, SQL Server registers with the HTTP listener http.sys, which became available with the introduction of Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP Service Pack 2. This means SQL Server uses XML and HTTP to access services and objects without the need for client software.

HTTP Endpoints SQL Server uses SOAP (formerly, the Service- Oriented Architecture Protocol but now simply SOAP) message requests to an instance of SQL Server over HTTP to provide the following: –Access to T-SQL batch statements, with or without parameters. –Access to stored procedures, extended stored procedures, and scalar-valued user-defined functions.

HTTP Endpoints HTTP endpoints can listen and receive requests on any TCP port, regardless of the URL you specified. Since endpoints register with http.sys, the request will first go to the server identified in the URL; then the http.sys layer will forward the URL to the instance of SQL Server while bypassing IIS, even if installed. To configure an endpoint, you use the CREATE ENDPOINT statement.

Securing HTTP Endpoints To secure an endpoint object and to be able to connect/create or alter an endpoint, you need to have appropriate permissions. The following are the most common permissions that can be granted: –ALTER –CONNECT –CONTROL –TAKE OWNERSHIP –VIEW DEFINITION

Summary In this lesson, you learned about and how to configure endpoints. Endpoints are not only used by SOAP requests; they are also used to configure network addresses for Server Broker and database mirroring. Together with the endpoint, you will specify the authentication of the endpoint.

Summary for Certification Examination Understand how to create and secure HTTP endpoints. When creating endpoints, you need to identify the virtual directory or path on the server, as well as configure the methods that can be used by the endpoint. You need to know that SQL Server manages all security within the endpoint configuration, and that a user needs to have the appropriate permissions in order to connect to an endpoint.