Server System Variables Default Value private_key.pem Command-Line Format --sha256-password-proxy-users[={OFF| ON}] System Variable sha256_password_proxy_users Scope Global Dynamic Yes SET_VAR  Hint Applies No Type Boolean Default Value OFF The value of this variable is the path name of the RSA private key file for the  sha256_password authentication plugin. If the file is named as a relative path, it is interpreted relative to the server data directory. The file must be in PEM format. Important Because this file stores a private key, its access mode should be restricted so that only the MySQL server can read it. For information about  sha256_password , see Section 6.4.1.3, “SHA-256 Pluggable Authentication” . • sha256_password_proxy_users • sha256_password_public_key_path This variable controls whether the  sha256_password  built-in authentication plugin supports proxy users. It has no effect unless the  check_proxy_users  system variable is enabled. For information about user proxying, see Section 6.2.18, “Proxy Users” . Command-Line Format --sha256-password-public-key- path=file_name System Variable sha256_password_public_key_path Scope Global Dynamic No SET_VAR  Hint Applies No Type File name Default Value public_key.pem The value of this variable is the path name of the RSA public key file for the  sha256_password authentication plugin. If the file is named as a relative path, it is interpreted relative to the server data directory. The file must be in PEM format. Because this file stores a public key, copies can be freely distributed to client users. (Clients that explicitly specify a public key when connecting to the server using RSA password encryption must use the same public key as that used by the server.) For information about  sha256_password , including information about how clients specify the RSA public key, see Section 6.4.1.3, “SHA-256 Pluggable Authentication” . 878