ALTER MASTER KEY

Alter properties of a database master key.

Syntax:
      ALTER MASTER KEY [FORCE] REGENERATE WITH ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = 'password'

      ALTER MASTER KEY ADD ENCRYPTION BY [SERVICE MASTER KEY | PASSWORD = 'password']

      ALTER MASTER KEY DROP ENCRYPTION BY [SERVICE MASTER KEY | PASSWORD = 'password']

REGENERATE - re-create the database master key and all the keys it protects.

FORCE - continue even if the master key is unavailable or the server cannot decrypt all the encrypted private keys.

ADD ENCRYPTION BY SERVICE MASTER KEY - Will store an encrypted copy of the master key in both the current database and in master.

Example

 USE MyDatabase;
 ALTER MASTER KEY REGENERATE WITH ENCRYPTION BY PASSWORD = '6464hxJDWHO64H64n77';
 GO

"Technical skill is mastery of complexity while creativity is mastery of simplicity" - E. Christopher Zeeman (Catastrophe Theory)

Related Commands:

CREATE MASTER KEY
BACKUP MASTER KEY
DROP MASTER KEY
RESTORE MASTER KEY
sys.symmetric_keys
sys.databases