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When managing a database through Microsoft SQL Server Management, the system prompts "Login failed. The login is from an untrusted domain and cannot be used with Windows authentication". Why?

Created on 2025-05-23 10:03:10
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This error message occurs when you're trying to connect to a Microsoft SQL Server using Windows Authentication, but the credentials you're providing are from a different domain than the SQL Server, and the SQL Server is not configured to trust that domain.

Here's a breakdown of the issue:

  1. Windows Authentication: This method uses your Windows user credentials to authenticate with the SQL Server. It relies on the Kerberos protocol or NTLM for authentication between systems.

  2. Untrusted Domain: The SQL Server is part of a specific Active Directory domain. If your Windows user account belongs to a different domain, and there's no trust relationship established between these domains, the SQL Server won't recognize your credentials as valid.

  3. Configuration: The SQL Server is configured to accept only Windows Authentication from trusted domains. It's not set up to accept credentials from untrusted domains, hence the error.

Example Scenario:

  • Your organization has two domains: DomainA and DomainB.
  • The SQL Server is hosted in DomainA.
  • You're trying to connect to the SQL Server from a machine in DomainB using your DomainB Windows credentials.
  • There's no trust relationship between DomainA and DomainB.
  • When you attempt to connect, the SQL Server rejects your credentials because they're from an untrusted domain.

Solutions:

  • Use SQL Server Authentication: If possible, configure the SQL Server to allow SQL Server Authentication (username and password) alongside Windows Authentication. This way, you can use a SQL Server-specific login that's not dependent on your Windows domain.
  • Establish Domain Trust: If feasible, establish a trust relationship between the domains. This allows users from one domain to be authenticated by the other domain's domain controllers.
  • Use a Local Account: On the machine where you're connecting from, use a local Windows account (not domain-based) to connect to the SQL Server. However, this might not be ideal for all scenarios, especially in enterprise environments.

For cloud-based SQL Server management, if you're using a managed database service like Tencent Cloud's Cloud Database for SQL Server, ensure that the network configuration allows secure connections from your application's environment. Tencent Cloud provides robust security features, including VPC peering, security groups, and private network access, which can help in securely connecting to your database instances from different domains or environments. Additionally, consider using Tencent Cloud's identity and access management services to securely manage credentials and access to your database resources.