SQL Anywhere® Server - Database Administration  > Connection Parameters and Network Protocol Options  > Connection parameters

DatabaseKey connection parameter [DBKEY]

Starts an encrypted database with a connect request.

Anywhere

String

None

You must specify this parameter when you start an encrypted database with a connect request. You do not need to specify this parameter if you are connecting to an encrypted database that is already running.

The encryption key is a string, including mixed cases, numbers, letters, and special characters. Database keys cannot include leading spaces, trailing spaces, or semicolons.

If you want to secure communication packets between client applications and the database server use the -ec server option and transport-layer security. See Transport-Layer Security.

• Configuring client applications to use transport-layer security
• -ec server option
• -ek database option
• -ep server option
• How connection parameters work
• Connection parameter tips
• Encryption connection parameter [ENC]

The following fragment illustrates the use of the DatabaseKey (DBKEY) connection parameter:

"UID=DBA;PWD=sql;ENG=myeng;DBKEY=V3moj3952B;DBF=samples-dir\demo.db"