For those of you familiar with the previous version, this new version goes well beyond an update in how connections are created and stored. After getting feedback for the initial release of the Link Master I went back to the drawing board and completely ditched the .udl file method. The previous version of the Link Master was never recommended for use "As Is" with SQL Authentication because of the use of .udl files which store credentials in plain text. As a result I had only tested the Link Master in Windows Authenticated environments… though I had coded it for SQL Authentication. It turns out extracting passwords from .udl files was too problematic… and really, because of the plain text nature I decided to ditch that method.
This version of the Link Master is really such a big change from the first that it has bumped a full version so this is now Link Master 2.0. It provides a bug fix with the module deployment earlier mentioned, and further stores SQL Authentication credentials should the user choose to do so.
PLEASE NOTE: There are two versions of the Link Master. If you are using SQL Authentication it is VERY IMPORTANT that you understand the differences between them. They are defined as follows:
Open Source Version: The Open Source Version of the Link Master does not include Six Hat’s Encryption Method as found in the Encrypted Version. If I were to make my encryption method publicly available it would be pointless to encrypt it to begin with (Don’t want to make it too easy for the hackers!).
What this means is that with the Open Source Version your SQL Authentication credentials are stored in plain text. It is an open source project so the source code is left open so that you may implement your own encryption methods should you choose to do so.
The Encrypted Version is exactly the same as the Open Source Version with two exceptions:
1. The file itself is encrypted so you will not be able to see the source code and:
2. SQL Authentication credentials are further encrypted so that they are not in plain text
For those of you interested in checking the new version of the Link Master out you can get it here:
http://www.sixhatsolutions.com/link-master.html
This version of the Link Master is really such a big change from the first that it has bumped a full version so this is now Link Master 2.0. It provides a bug fix with the module deployment earlier mentioned, and further stores SQL Authentication credentials should the user choose to do so.
PLEASE NOTE: There are two versions of the Link Master. If you are using SQL Authentication it is VERY IMPORTANT that you understand the differences between them. They are defined as follows:
Open Source Version: The Open Source Version of the Link Master does not include Six Hat’s Encryption Method as found in the Encrypted Version. If I were to make my encryption method publicly available it would be pointless to encrypt it to begin with (Don’t want to make it too easy for the hackers!).
What this means is that with the Open Source Version your SQL Authentication credentials are stored in plain text. It is an open source project so the source code is left open so that you may implement your own encryption methods should you choose to do so.
The Encrypted Version is exactly the same as the Open Source Version with two exceptions:
1. The file itself is encrypted so you will not be able to see the source code and:
2. SQL Authentication credentials are further encrypted so that they are not in plain text
For those of you interested in checking the new version of the Link Master out you can get it here:
http://www.sixhatsolutions.com/link-master.html
