Patent ID: 7543145

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for protecting connection strings in a mark-up language (ML) configuration file, the method comprising: receiving a request on a configuration server, wherein the request includes a request for sensitive configuration setting data located in a database of the configuration server, wherein the request includes decryption provider information; in response to receiving the request, retrieving a ML configuration file related to the request, wherein the ML configuration file includes encrypted connection strings used to obtain the sensitive configuration setting data from the database of the configuration server; in response to retrieving the ML configuration file related to the request, utilizing the decryption provider information to decrypt the connection strings of the ML configuration file; accessing, by the configuration server, the sensitive configuration setting data located in the database of the configuration server based on the decrypted connection strings; building, by the configuration server, an output file that includes the sensitive configuration setting data; and sending the output file to a sender of the request.