---
title: "EKM provider enabled Server Configuration Option"
description: "Learn about the EKM provider enabled option. It controls Extensible Key Management device support in SQL Server. See how to turn this option on or off."
author: rwestMSFT
ms.author: randolphwest
ms.date: "03/02/2017"
ms.service: sql
ms.subservice: configuration
ms.topic: conceptual
f1_keywords:
  - "external encryption provider"
helpviewer_keywords:
  - "EKM provider enabled option"
---
# EKM provider enabled Server Configuration Option
 [!INCLUDE [SQL Server](../../includes/applies-to-version/sqlserver.md)]

  The **EKM provider enabled** option controls Extensible Key Management device support in [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)]. By default this option is off.  
  
 To enable or disable the feature, issue one of the following **sp_configure** commands:  
  
```  
/* Enable the external encryption provider option */  
sp_configure 'EKM provider enabled', 1  
/* Disable the external encryption provider option */  
sp_configure 'EKM provider enabled', 0  
```  
  
> [!NOTE]
>  This option is not enabled in every edition of [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../includes/msconame-md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)]. For a list of features that are supported by the editions of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)], see [Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2016](~/sql-server/editions-and-supported-features-for-sql-server-2016.md).  
  
## See Also  
 [Extensible Key Management (EKM)](../../relational-databases/security/encryption/extensible-key-management-ekm.md)   
 [Server Configuration Options (SQL Server)](../../database-engine/configure-windows/server-configuration-options-sql-server.md)   
 [Monitor Resource Usage (System Monitor)](../../relational-databases/performance-monitor/monitor-resource-usage-system-monitor.md)   
 [sp_configure (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-stored-procedures/sp-configure-transact-sql.md)   
 [RECONFIGURE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/language-elements/reconfigure-transact-sql.md)