About the Server Login Security Mode

Each SQL Server must be configured for one of the three available security modes.

• Integrated security allows a SQL Server to use Windows NT authentication mechanisms to validate SQL Server logins for all connections. Only trusted (multi-protocol or named pipes) connections are allowed.
• Standard security uses SQL Server's own login validation process for all connections.
• Mixed security allows SQL Server login requests to be validated by using either integrated or standard security methods. Both trusted connections (as used by integrated security) and nontrusted connections (as used by standard security) are supported.

In addition, regardless of the server's login security mode, ODBC and DB-Library client applications can be configured to always request a trusted connection from the server.

For more information, choose one of the following topics:

Integrated Security

Standard Security

Mixed Security

Client-Requested Trusted Connections