Access Control, RBAC, and Security
What the exam tests
This domain tests project-scoped RBAC, identity integration, credential handling, and least privilege.
Core rules
- NDB roles grant actions; projects scope where those actions apply. A powerful role in the wrong project is still a risk.
- Integrate AD or LDAP groups and map them to NDB roles instead of maintaining individual accounts.
- Separate duties: platform administrators manage the NDB server and clusters; project administrators manage databases; developers consume clones.
- Database credentials and SSH keys need controlled storage and rotation. Do not embed secrets in scripts or clone names.
- Enable audit visibility for provisioning, deletion, patching, restore, and permission changes.
- Review project membership when staff change roles.
Worked example
A developer group needs to clone production into the dev project but must not delete production. Create a project role that allows clone and refresh in dev, assign the AD group to that project, and do not grant NDB administrator. Test with a user account: the clone action succeeds in dev, while production delete is denied. If the user can see production databases, project scoping or role mapping is wrong.
Traps
Do not grant NDB administrator to avoid mapping projects; that collapses isolation. Do not assume AD authentication alone authorizes actions; group-to-role mapping does. Do not share one database account across all clones. Do not forget that snapshot and restore permissions can expose data even without direct database login.