About Table Hyperlinks on Autonomous Database
Depending on how you generate a Table Hyperlink, a Table Hyperlink provides access to data in tables or views or by running a SQL query.
When you generate a Table Hyperlink you specify an expiration, either as an expiration time, for example set the Table Hyperlink to expire after 120 minutes, or as an expiration count, for example the Table Hyperlink expires after the Table Hyperlink is used 10 times.
Table Hyperlinks provide the following:
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Public Access: Using a Table Hyperlink a data recipient on the public internet can access data when the data resides on an Autonomous Database instance in a private subnet.
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Expiration: A data provider specifies expiration for a Table Hyperlink, meaning the Table Hyperlink has a limited time before it expires (up to a maximum of 90 Days).
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Expiration Use Count Limits: A data provider can specify a limit on how many times a recipient can use a Table Hyperlink to access data.
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Endpoint Transparency: A data provider is able to hide the Autonomous Database name so that it is not visible in a Table Hyperlink.
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Column Level Options for Tabular Format Features and Grouping: When you generate a Table Hyperlink you can specify the following options by column: sorting, filtering, allow cell colors, or the group by option where you can select to view data grouped by the values in a specified column.
There is a limit of 128 active Table Hyperlinks on an Autonomous Database instance.
Table Hyperlink Use Cases
Generating and providing Table Hyperlinks supports the following use cases:
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
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Within Organization Collaboration |
You can use Table Hyperlinks for emergency data access. In situations where a rapid response is needed, such as during a critical incident investigation, you provide a Table Hyperlink to allow immediate and temporary access to specific data without the need to create new database accounts or modify existing permissions. |
|
BB (Business to Business) Applications |
A business partner can easily access data. Using a Table Hyperlink, a business can provide a business partner with a simple way to access data or reports. This can eliminate the need for manual report generation and email distribution. |
|
Third-party Audits and Reviews |
When an external auditor or reviewer requires access to specific data for a limited time, a Table Hyperlink can give them the access they need without compromising the overall security of the database. |
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Data as a Product (Digital Commerce) |
Vendors can grant limited or single-use access to purchased content or data using a Table Hyperlink. Once accessed, the URL expires, protecting the product’s exclusivity and ensuring efficient, secure delivery. |
Security Best Practices for Table Hyperlinks
Following are some best practices for generating and using Table Hyperlinks:
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Set a Short Expiration Time: A Table Hyperlink should only be valid for the minimum time required. The shorter the validity period, the lower the risk if the Table Hyperlink is compromised.
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PAR Invalidation: Invalidate a Table Hyperlink immediately when it is no longer required.
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Use Appropriate Permissions: A Table Hyperlink runs using the privileges granted to the database user who generates the Table Hyperlink. The user that generates a Table Hyperlink should have the minimum privileges required for providing access to the data.
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Content Security: To mitigate risk of sharing unintended dynamic data:
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Create a view on top of the data that you want to share in a Table Hyperlink, and monitor that the view definition is up to date.
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As needed, create a VPD policy when you generate a Table Hyperlink. You can use VPD policies to restrict the rows visible to the Table Hyperlink users.
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Load Monitoring: Monitor the Table Hyperlink query load using PerfHub and SQL monitoring.
Enable Compute auto scaling and make sure that the CPU count is appropriately sized for the data set size and Table Hyperlink query load.