Enable / Disable xp_cmdshell on SQL Server 2005

The xp_cmdshell extended stored procedure allows a user to run OS commands from within the Database Engine. In order to execute the same we will need to enable xp_cmdshell. We can perform the same in the following two ways:

1. Using the SP_CONFIGURE Stored Procedure:

a. Open a New Query Window in SQL Server and execute the following SQL command in order to change the global configuration settings for the current server so that all the available options are displayed:
SP_CONFIGURE 'show advanced options', 1

b. Execute the following SQL Command in order to update the currently configured value of the configuration option changed with the SP_CONFIGURE system stored procedure:
RECONFIGURE

c. Execute the following SQL Command in order to display the global configuration settings for the current server:
SP_CONFIGURE
d. Check the config_value for xp_cmdshell. If the value is 0, then Execute the following SQL Command in order to enable the Stored Procedure:
SP_CONFIGURE 'xp_cmdshell', 1

e. Execute RECONFIGURE in order to update the currently configured value of the configuration Option.

2. Using SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration:
Perform the following steps in order to enable xp_cmdshell from SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration window:

a. Open SQL Server Surface Area Configuration :

Click On Windows Button --> All Programs --> Microsoft SQL Server 2005 --> Configuration Tools --> SQL Server Surface Area Configuration.

b. Click “Surface Area Configuration for Features”




c. Select the xp_cmdshell component on the left pane and put a check mark on the Enable xp_cmdshell checkbox on the right pane.



d. Click on the Ok Button and you have successfully enabled xp_cmdshell stored procedure on your SQL Server 2005.

Run a Batch File from an ASP.NET Webpage using xp_cmdshell

During the course of one of my assignments in an automation project, one of the requirements was to execute a batch file from an ASP.NET Web Page. The Batch File could be executed using Systems.Diagnostics.Process and Systems.Diagnostics.ProcessStartInfo. However, this lead me to impersonate a user or to elevate the privilege level of the ASP.NET Application Pool which I wanted to avoid.

After some searching in the Internet I came across a System Stored Procedure in SQL Server 2005 xp_cmdshell. However in order to execute xp_cmdshell we will need to Enable xp_cmdshell. Hope the Stored Procedure provided will come in handy to anyone facing the same issue.

GO

/****** Object: StoredProcedure [dbo].[ExecuteBatchFile] ******/

CREATE PROCEDURE [dbo].[ExecuteBatchFile]
@BatchFileName NVARCHAR (1024),
@BatchArguments NVARCHAR (256)

AS

DECLARE @V_PARAM AS NVARCHAR (1280)

SET @V_PARAM = @BatchFileName + ' ' + @BatchArguments

CREATE TABLE #TempTable
(
OUTPUT NVARCHAR (1280)
)

INSERT #TempTable exec master..xp_cmdshell @V_PARAM
SELECT OUTPUT FROM #TempTable

SET NOCOUNT ON
DROP TABLE #TempTable
SET NOCOUNT OFF

Breaking the shackles of Inhibition

Hi friends, this is my first blog and I am not sure how to go ahead about it. The feeling is really funny and I know the inhibition that I am facing shouldn't be there. However, this is something which I feel needs to be "eradicated".

This leads me to the thought that has been haunting me for some days now. Well, we all have some kind of apprehensions in our life. Apprehensions of getting old, facing rejection, dying, getting fat, even some of my friends have apprehensions about having to work for another 25 years ;) .I'm personally afraid of stage. Just imagining that I'm in front of an audience gives me the chills and I become nervous.

The seeds of this was sown by me when I was in class 4. It was The Republic Day celebrations in our school. My name was forced into the itenery of persons who were supposed to give speech. I thought of this as a "punishment" hurled to me by my seniors. I prepared the speech but went to the washroom when my name was called. After that life became easy for me at school as nobody subjected me to this kind of "punishment". But little did I knew that this was a "Curse in Disguise".

Now, the feeling that I get is if I would have risen to the occassion and "Faced My Fears" my life would have been pretty much different. Even today I become nervous whenever the stage light is turned towards me. Whenever, I'm told to give a presentation in my work place, I become edgy. During the presentation my heart beats much faster and I tend to become a little aggressive while speaking which comes purely from the fact that I'm nervous.

I have been reading for some time now on how to go about dealing with this and the answer I found is very straight forward. "Look directly into the eyes of the bull and take it by its horn". The sooner we are able to do this the better it is.