The syskm privilege – how, when, and why should you use it?

For this recipe, you'll need:

Instructions are split into sections for database authentication and OS authentication.

When you connect to the database as syskm, you are connected as a predefined user, syskm. Using the syskm privilege, you can connect to the database even when it is not open.

In most circumstances when using TDE, you don't have to have syskm administrative privilege. For a more detailed discussion about TDE operations and which privileges users need, see recipes in Chapter 8, Transparent Data Encryption.

In the Database authentication section after completing step 3, you can perform operations related to managing the TDE keystore. Step 4 is not necessary and its sole purpose is to show you which privileges you can use when connected as syskm. These privileges are:

You can't drop user syskm. When you are connected to the database as syskm, you are connected as the syskm user to SYS schema:

SQL> connect / as syskm
Connected.

SQL> show user
USER is "SYSKM"

SQL> select sys_context( 'userenv', 'current_schema' ) from dual;
SYS_CONTEXT('USERENV','CURRENT_SCHEMA')
---------------------------------------
SYS