How to restrict data access based on user login

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I am a former Lotus Notes/Domino developer, learning the Microsoft stack. I am building a web application with a SQL server back end. I want to build a basic CRUD application where users register, then login. They should be able to work with data they created or that has been shared with them. I am unsure how to achieve that result.

One of the cool features of the Domino database was the ability to add reader and or author fields to each record with user IDs, or roles and the server would automatically filter out those records when a user accesses the database. So if the user opened a View or Queried the database, the server would never let them see records they were not assigned access to.

Does SQL server have similar functionality? I've seen some information on row-level security, is that the best way to secure data? If not, what is the best practice to secure data so users can only see their data?

Thanks for any help you can offer.

1 Answers

Yes. SQL server has Row Level Security:

Row-Level Security enables you to use group membership or execution context to control access to rows in a database table.

Row-Level Security (RLS) simplifies the design and coding of security in your application. RLS helps you implement restrictions on data row access. For example, you can ensure that workers access only those data rows that are pertinent to their department. Another example is to restrict customers' data access to only the data relevant to their company.

The access restriction logic is located in the database tier rather than away from the data in another application tier. The database system applies the access restrictions every time that data access is attempted from any tier. This makes your security system more reliable and robust by reducing the surface area of your security system.

But it's more common to embed the authorization logic in a server-side application like a web server or web API. Row-Level Security is more common where users connect directly to the database, like in reporting and analytics, and client/server desktop applications.

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