-> I had a request to remove TDE on a SQL Server Instance.

-> Execute below query and check what databases are encrypted on the SQL Server instance,

select DB_NAME(database_id) AS DatabaseName, encryption_state,
encryption_state_desc =
CASE encryption_state
WHEN '0' THEN 'No database encryption key present, no encryption'
WHEN '1' THEN 'Unencrypted'
WHEN '2' THEN 'Encryption in progress'
WHEN '3' THEN 'Encrypted'
WHEN '4' THEN 'Key change in progress'
WHEN '5' THEN 'Decryption in progress'
WHEN '6' THEN 'Protection change in progress (The certificate or asymmetric key that is encrypting the database is encrypting the database encryption key is being changed.)'
ELSE 'No Status'
END,
percent_complete,encryptor_thumbprint,encryptor_type
from sys.dm_database_encryption_keys

-> From the above screenshot, it is clear that database JB_DB and JBS_DB are encrypted with different certificate. Database JBS_App_DB is encrypted with a different certificate. Check the “encryptor_thumbprint” for the difference.

-> Execute below query to find the name of the certificates,

select DB_NAME(database_id) AS DatabaseName, encryption_state,
encryption_state_desc =
CASE encryption_state
WHEN '0' THEN 'No database encryption key present, no encryption'
WHEN '1' THEN 'Unencrypted'
WHEN '2' THEN 'Encryption in progress'
WHEN '3' THEN 'Encrypted'
WHEN '4' THEN 'Key change in progress'
WHEN '5' THEN 'Decryption in progress'
WHEN '6' THEN 'Protection change in progress (The certificate or asymmetric key that is encrypting the database is encrypting the database encryption key is being changed.)'
ELSE 'No Status'
END,
percent_complete,b.name as Certificate, encryptor_thumbprint,encryptor_type
from sys.dm_database_encryption_keys a INNER JOIN sys.certificates b ON a.encryptor_thumbprint=b.thumbprint

-> Checking the certificates from SSMS,

-> Before removing TDE, I made a backup of the certificate using below TSQL,

USE master;
GO
BACKUP CERTIFICATE JBS_TDE_Certificate
TO FILE = 'C:\temp\JBS_TDE_Certificate.cer'
WITH PRIVATE KEY (file='C:\temp\JBS_TDE_Certificate.pvk',
ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD='Pa$$w0rd');

BACKUP CERTIFICATE JBS_PROD_Certificate
TO FILE = 'C:\temp\JBS_PROD_Certificate.cer'
WITH PRIVATE KEY (file='C:\temp\JBS_PROD_Certificate.pvk',
ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD='Pa$$w0rd');

Removing TDE the wrong way

-> I tried removing the master key using below Tsql,

use master
go
DROP MASTER KEY

-> Received below error,

Msg 15580, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
Cannot drop master key because certificate ‘JB_TDE_Certificate’ is encrypted by it.

-> It seems like JBS_TDE_Certificate should be dropped before removing the master key. Lets try removing the certificate JBS_TDE_Certificate using below Tsql,

USE [master]
GO
DROP CERTIFICATE [JBS_TDE_Certificate]
GO

-> Received below error,

Msg 3716, Level 16, State 15, Line 3
The certificate ‘JBS_TDE_Certificate’ cannot be dropped because it is bound to one or more database encryption key.

-> You will receive a similar error when you try removing certificate JBS_PROD_Certificate.

Removing TDE the Right way

-> Execute below query to disable TDE on the affected databases,

USE master;
GO
ALTER DATABASE [JB_DB] SET ENCRYPTION OFF;
GO
ALTER DATABASE [JBS_App_DB] SET ENCRYPTION OFF;
GO
ALTER DATABASE [JBS_DB] SET ENCRYPTION OFF;
GO

-> Execute below query and make sure encryption_state_desc is set to “Unencrypted” for all User databases,

select DB_NAME(database_id) AS DatabaseName, encryption_state,
encryption_state_desc =
CASE encryption_state
WHEN '0' THEN 'No database encryption key present, no encryption'
WHEN '1' THEN 'Unencrypted'
WHEN '2' THEN 'Encryption in progress'
WHEN '3' THEN 'Encrypted'
WHEN '4' THEN 'Key change in progress'
WHEN '5' THEN 'Decryption in progress'
WHEN '6' THEN 'Protection change in progress (The certificate or asymmetric key that is encrypting the database is encrypting the database encryption key is being changed.)'
ELSE 'No Status'
END,
percent_complete, encryptor_thumbprint,encryptor_type
from sys.dm_database_encryption_keys

-> Execute below query to remove the encryption key,

USE [JB_DB];
GO
DROP DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY;
GO

USE [JBS_App_DB];
GO
DROP DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY;
GO

USE [JBS_DB];
GO
DROP DATABASE ENCRYPTION KEY;
GO

-> Execute below query again and see if there are any user databases encrypted,

select DB_NAME(database_id) AS DatabaseName, encryption_state,
encryption_state_desc =
CASE encryption_state
WHEN '0' THEN 'No database encryption key present, no encryption'
WHEN '1' THEN 'Unencrypted'
WHEN '2' THEN 'Encryption in progress'
WHEN '3' THEN 'Encrypted'
WHEN '4' THEN 'Key change in progress'
WHEN '5' THEN 'Decryption in progress'
WHEN '6' THEN 'Protection change in progress (The certificate or asymmetric key that is encrypting the database is encrypting the database encryption key is being changed.)'
ELSE 'No Status'
END,
percent_complete, encryptor_thumbprint,encryptor_type
from sys.dm_database_encryption_keys

-> Drop certificates using below query,

USE [master]
GO
DROP CERTIFICATE [JB_TDE_Certificate]
GO
DROP CERTIFICATE [JBS_PROD_Certificate]
GO

-> Drop master key using below query,

use master
go
DROP MASTER KEY

-> Execute below query again and see if there are any databases encrypted,

select DB_NAME(database_id) AS DatabaseName, encryption_state,
encryption_state_desc =
CASE encryption_state
WHEN '0' THEN 'No database encryption key present, no encryption'
WHEN '1' THEN 'Unencrypted'
WHEN '2' THEN 'Encryption in progress'
WHEN '3' THEN 'Encrypted'
WHEN '4' THEN 'Key change in progress'
WHEN '5' THEN 'Decryption in progress'
WHEN '6' THEN 'Protection change in progress (The certificate or asymmetric key that is encrypting the database is encrypting the database encryption key is being changed.)'
ELSE 'No Status'
END,
percent_complete, encryptor_thumbprint,encryptor_type
from sys.dm_database_encryption_keys

-> Tempdb is still there. Lets restart the SQL services and allow Tempdb to be recreated. Executing above query after restart will show no databases including Tempdb.

Thank You,
Vivek Janakiraman

Disclaimer:
The views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my company or anyone else. All postings on this blog are provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights.

-> I had to restore a database on a development server using a backup from a Production Server.

-> When I tried restoring the backup I got the below error,

TITLE: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
——————————
Restore of database ‘JBS_App_DB’ failed. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.RelationalEngineTasks)
——————————
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
System.Data.SqlClient.SqlError: Cannot find server certificate with thumbprint ‘0xAA2EBEFF26F6DC56959BF42BFAFF09ABC6F12D39’. (Microsoft.SqlServer.SmoExtended)

For help, click: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?ProdName=Microsoft+SQL+Server&ProdVer=14.0.17289.0+((SSMS_Rel_17_4).181117-0805)&LinkId=20476
——————————
BUTTONS:
OK
——————————

-> It seems like the user database from where the backup was performed is TDE enabled .

-> We should backup the Certificate and Private key from SQL Server Instance where this backup was performed using below,

USE master;
GO
BACKUP CERTIFICATE JBS_PROD_Certificate
TO FILE = 'C:\temp\JBS_PROD_Certificate.cer'
WITH PRIVATE KEY (file='C:\temp\JBS_PROD_Certificate.pvk',
ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD='Pa$$w0rd');

-> The created Certificate should be added to the SQL Server Instance where we are performing the restore.

-> Executing below TSQL to create the master key on Instance where the backup should be restored,

USE master;
GO
CREATE MASTER KEY ENCRYPTION
BY PASSWORD='Pa$$w0rd';
GO

-> Executing above Tsql produces below error,

Msg 15578, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
There is already a master key in the database. Please drop it before performing this statement.

-> It seems like the SQL Server instance already has a master key created.

-> Lets just create the certificate using below,

CREATE CERTIFICATE JBS_PROD_Certificate
FROM FILE='C:\temp\JBS_PROD_Certificate.cer'
WITH PRIVATE KEY (
FILE = 'C:\temp\JBS_PROD_Certificate.pvk',
DECRYPTION BY PASSWORD='Pa$$w0rd')

-> Try restoring the database and it works without any issue.

Thank You,
Vivek Janakiraman

Disclaimer:
The views expressed on this blog are mine alone and do not reflect the views of my company or anyone else. All postings on this blog are provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights.