Column Encryption Keys

A column encryption key (CEK) encrypts column data.

In Database Explorer, you can perform operations on column encryption key by using the shortcut menu. Right-click a column encryption key to access options such as generating a script or viewing its properties.

Create a column encryption key

You can create a column encryption key in SQL Editor by using one of these features:

• Code completion to write a script.
• SQL snippets to insert predefined or custom code.

Tip

You can manage encryption keys in SQL Editor. For more information, see Manage encryption keys.

Generate a script for a column encryption key

1. In Database Explorer, right-click a column encryption key and select Generate Script As, then select the statement type.

2. Select an output option:

• To New SQL Window – Opens the script in a new SQL document.
• To File – Saves the script to a .sql file.
• To Clipboard – Copies the script to the clipboard.

View column encryption key properties

In Database Explorer, right-click the column encryption key or Column Encryption Keys node and select Show Details.

Object Viewer opens, displaying detailed information about the column encryption key.

Refresh the column encryption key

In Database Explorer, right-click the column encryption key or Column Encryption Keys node and select Refresh, or press F5.

Open the Properties pane

In Database Explorer, right-click the column encryption key and select Properties, or press F4.

Filter column encryption keys

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the Column Encryption Keys node and select Filter.

2. In the Filter Settings dialog, configure the filter parameters.

3. Click OK to apply the filter.

Note

When you expand the Column Encryption Keys node, the number of objects it contains appears in parentheses next to the node name. This number changes depending on the applied filter settings.

Delete a column encryption key

1. In Database Explorer, right-click the column encryption key you want to delete and select Delete, or press Delete.

2. Click Yes to confirm the deletion.

Note

You cannot undo the drop operation, as this action permanently deletes the column encryption key. To avoid data loss, back up the database before deleting the column encryption key.

Shortcut menu options for a column encryption key

The following table describes the shortcut menu options available for a column encryption key in Database Explorer.

Name	Description
Generate Script As	Generates a script for the selected object using the CREATE, DROP, and DROP and CREATE statements. The script can be generated to a new SQL document or to a .sql file, or copied to the clipboard.
Show Details	Opens Object Viewer that displays object details.
Delete	Drops the selected object from the database. Shortcut: Delete
Refresh	Updates the object list to reflect the latest changes. Shortcut: F5
Properties	Opens the Properties pane that displays the object information. Shortcut: F4

Shortcut menu options for the Column Encryption Keys node

The following table describes the shortcut menu options available for the Column Encryption Keys node in Database Explorer.

Name	Description
Filter	Opens the Filter Settings dialog to control which CEK should appear in Database Explorer.
Show Details	Opens Object Viewer that displays object details.
Refresh	Updates the object list to reflect the latest changes. Shortcut: F5

Bulk operations

In Database Explorer, hold down Ctrl and select multiple column encryption keys. Then right-click the selection and select the required option.

The following table describes the shortcut menu options available for multiple column encryption keys.

Name	Description
Generate Script As	Generates a script for the selected objects using the CREATE, DROP, and DROP and CREATE statements. The script can be generated to a new SQL document or to a file, or copied to the clipboard.
Delete	Drops the selected column encryption keys from the database. Shortcut: Delete