If you know the SYSDBA password, you can do whatever you want. If you don't
know it, but have access to the database file(s), copy them to a machine
with Firebird installed where you know the SYSDBA passord and you can do
whatever you want. The only way to prevent anyone from fiddling is to deny
them access to the physical database file(s). You can make it harder if you
encrypt the data and use illogical names for fields (e.g. call the
customers table for parts or something - though this is more than likely to
confuse you as much as your customers), but the only thing you can prevent
your users from seeing, is the code for stored procedures (you can delete
the source code).

A better way to avoid users fiddling with the system is to make it crystal
clear that if they do so it is at their own risk. You take no
responsibility for their changes whatsoever, and if you agree to run to
their rescue when they prove their stupidity, you charge them far more than
you otherwise do.

But the best you can do is to make such a great system that they don't want
to change anything, and be responsive when they want things changed.

HTH,
Set

At 13:09 07.01.2003 +0000, you wrote:

>All,
>
>I am in the planning stage of an application and I am considering using
>firebird as the primary database. I have a question. Is it possible to stop
>any advanced user from seeing the structure of the database. For example if
>this application is installed by a user that knows about interbase they are
>going to be able to use some sort of Interbase administration tool to view
>and possibly change the structure of my database. This would be an absolute
>nightmare to support. Is there away of getting round this?