sql server 2008 - SHA256 in T-sql stored procedure

Question

Is it possible to generate a SHA-256 hash of a string from a stored procedure in Sql Server 2008?

For deployment reasons, I'd prefer it in TSQL.

Answer 1

Update: SQL Server 2012 HASHBYTES() now supports SHA-256 and SHA-512 out of the box.

HASHBYTES ( '<algorithm>', { @input | 'input' } )

<algorithm>::= MD2 | MD4 | MD5 | SHA | SHA1 | SHA2_256 | SHA2_512

Sure. You can do it in TSQL, but it will be much easier to implement it as a CLR Stored procedure.

Here's an actual example, that simply uses the .NET Framework types: Let's Hash a BLOB