Kerberos Authentication and SQL Server (Part 1)

It’s been a while since my last post (i.e. almost 1 & 1/2 years, ouch!), but I hope to get back into a more regular pace with my updates going forward.  My next few posts will be a short series related to Kerberos Authentication, particularly in relation to the SQL Server product family.  Kerberos is a critical component needed for some advanced security features and configurations and Microsoft recommends it be enabled in every SQL Server deployment, pending outstanding circumstances.  Some people will find it difficult to setup, but those challenges tend to relate to misunderstanding what’s going on and what permissions are required to get everything working.  In this post, I’ll discuss what Kerberos is and what is needed within your Windows environment for SQL Server to utilize this authentication protocol.