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sp_foreignkeys (Transact-SQL)

SQL Server 2008

Returns the foreign keys that reference primary keys on the table in the linked server.

Topic link icon Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

sp_foreignkeys [ @table_server = ] 'table_server' 
     [ , [ @pktab_name = ] 'pktab_name' ] 
     [ , [ @pktab_schema = ] 'pktab_schema' ] 
     [ , [ @pktab_catalog = ] 'pktab_catalog' ] 
     [ , [ @fktab_name = ] 'fktab_name' ] 
     [ , [ @fktab_schema = ] 'fktab_schema' ] 
     [ , [ @fktab_catalog = ] 'fktab_catalog' ]

Arguments

[ @table_server = ] 'table_server': Is the name of the linked server for which to return table information. table_server is sysname, with no default.
[ @pktab_name = ] 'pktab_name': Is the name of the table with a primary key. pktab_name is sysname, with a default of NULL.
[ @pktab_schema = ] 'pktab_schema': Is the name of the schema with a primary key. pktab_schemais sysname, with a default of NULL. In SQL Server 2008, this contains the owner name.
[ @pktab_catalog = ] 'pktab_catalog': Is the name of the catalog with a primary key. pktab_catalogis sysname, with a default of NULL. In SQL Server, this contains the database name.
[ @fktab_name = ] 'fktab_name': Is the name of the table with a foreign key. fktab_nameis sysname, with a default of NULL.
[ @fktab_schema = ] 'fktab_schema': Is the name of the schema with a foreign key. fktab_schemais sysname, with a default of NULL.
[ @fktab_catalog = ] 'fktab_catalog': Is the name of the catalog with a foreign key. fktab_catalogis sysname, with a default of NULL.

Return Code Values

None

Result Sets

Various DBMS products support three-part naming for tables (catalog.schema.table), which is represented in the result set.

Column name	Data type	Description
PKTABLE_CAT	sysname	Catalog for the table in which the primary key resides.
PKTABLE_SCHEM	sysname	Schema for the table in which the primary key resides.
PKTABLE_NAME	sysname	Name of the table (with the primary key). This field always returns a value.
PKCOLUMN_NAME	sysname	Name of the primary key column or columns, for each column of the TABLE_NAME returned. This field always returns a value.
FKTABLE_CAT	sysname	Catalog for the table in which the foreign key resides.
FKTABLE_SCHEM	sysname	Schema for the table in which the foreign key resides.
FKTABLE_NAME	sysname	Name of the table (with a foreign key). This field always returns a value.
FKCOLUMN_NAME	sysname	Name of the foreign key columns, for each column of the TABLE_NAME returned. This field always returns a value.
KEY_SEQ	smallint	Sequence number of the column in a multicolumn primary key. This field always returns a value.
UPDATE_RULE	smallint	Action applied to the foreign key when the SQL operation is an update. SQL Server returns 0, 1, or 2 for these columns: 0=CASCADE changes to foreign key. 1=NO ACTION changes if foreign key is present. 2=SET_NULL; set foreign key to NULL.
DELETE_RULE	smallint	Action applied to the foreign key when the SQL operation is a deletion. SQL Server returns 0, 1, or 2 for these columns: 0=CASCADE changes to foreign key. 1=NO ACTION changes if foreign key is present. 2=SET_NULL; set foreign key to NULL.
FK_NAME	sysname	Foreign key identifier. It is NULL if not applicable to the data source. SQL Server returns the FOREIGN KEY constraint name.
PK_NAME	sysname	Primary key identifier. It is NULL if not applicable to the data source. SQL Server returns the PRIMARY KEY constraint name.
DEFERRABILITY	smallint	Indicates whether constraint checking is deferrable.

In the result set, the FK_NAME and PK_NAME columns always return NULL.

Remarks

sp_foreignkeys queries the FOREIGN_KEYS rowset of the IDBSchemaRowset interface of the OLE DB provider that corresponds to table_server. The table_name, table_schema, table_catalog, and column parameters are passed to this interface to restrict the rows returned.

Permissions

Requires SELECT permission on the schema.

Examples

The following example returns foreign key information about the Department table in the AdventureWorks database on the linked server, Seattle1.

EXEC sp_foreignkeys @table_server = N'Seattle1', 
   @pktab_name = N'Department', 
   @pktab_catalog = N'AdventureWorks'

Reference

sp_catalogs (Transact-SQL)

sp_column_privileges (Transact-SQL)

sp_indexes (Transact-SQL)

sp_linkedservers (Transact-SQL)

sp_primarykeys (Transact-SQL)

sp_tables_ex (Transact-SQL)

sp_table_privileges (Transact-SQL)

System Stored Procedures (Transact-SQL)

Concepts

User-Schema Separation

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