[TriLUG] PHP "trusted connection" w/ MSSQL (this is mostly a PHP question)

[David McDowell]

I'm hoping I'm going to bump into someone who has done this, but so
far, I seem to be one of the only nutcases around here doing it.  :)

Ok... here's the setup: LA(MSSQL)P on both FC1 and FC3 currently.  At
this time I'm just working with the FC1 system for this.  There is
supposedly such a thing called a "trusted connection" in Microsoft's
world.  Those of us who work with Microsoft products all know this is
more or less background authentication of sorts... sign in once, get
authenticated everywhere.  Easiest example is to say, sign into your
WinXP on a windows domain with AD, open Access Data Project as your
front end app to MSSQL which has domain user accounts listed with
certain roles and permissions defined in the database.  This means no
permissions tables for the app, but defined roles, in other words,
permission delegated by the database, not a permissions table and
coding.  In all the above steps just mentioned, you only signed in
once, but Access and MSSQL were able to authenticate you to do what
you are allowed to.

Now, PHP with Apache on Linux isn't quite the same as PHP on that
Microsoft web whatever unmentionable.  :)  I have mod_auth_ldap setup
with Apache on Linux which authenticates users against the Microsoft
AD without any problems.  Now PHP has $_SERVER('PHP_AUTH_USER') and
$_SERVER('PHP_AUTH_PW') in which those values are defined after
someone logs into the website.  I have run across a couple things such
as mssql.secure_connection as something to be added to the php.ini
that I found on this page: http://us2.php.net/mssql --- However, I
fear this is only PHP on win32 platform.

If you are still with me and haven't scoff at MSSQL yet (I have but I
have to use it), any ideas or suggestions from someone who might have
this experience would be helpful!

thanks,
David McD