sys.database_principals (Transact-SQL)

Applies to: SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics Analytics Platform System (PDW) SQL analytics endpoint in Microsoft Fabric Warehouse in Microsoft Fabric

Returns a row for each security principal in a SQL Server database.

Note

Microsoft Entra ID was previously known as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

Column descriptions

Column name Data type Description
name sysname Name of principal, unique within the database.
principal_id int ID of principal, unique within the database.
type char(1) Principal type:

A = Application role

C = User mapped to a certificate

E = External user from Microsoft Entra ID

G = Windows group

K = User mapped to an asymmetric key

R = Database role

S = SQL user

U = Windows user

X = External group from Microsoft Entra group or applications
type_desc nvarchar(60) Description of principal type.

APPLICATION_ROLE

CERTIFICATE_MAPPED_USER

EXTERNAL_USER

WINDOWS_GROUP

ASYMMETRIC_KEY_MAPPED_USER

DATABASE_ROLE

SQL_USER

WINDOWS_USER

EXTERNAL_GROUPS
default_schema_name sysname Name to be used when SQL name does not specify a schema. Null for principals not of type S, U, or A.
create_date datetime Time at which the principal was created.
modify_date datetime Time at which the principal was last modified.
owning_principal_id int ID of the principal that owns this principal. All fixed Database Roles are owned by dbo by default.
sid varbinary(85) SID (Security Identifier) of the principal. NULL for SYS and INFORMATION SCHEMAS.
is_fixed_role bit If 1, this row represents an entry for one of the fixed database roles: db_owner, db_accessadmin, db_datareader, db_datawriter, db_ddladmin, db_securityadmin, db_backupoperator, db_denydatareader, db_denydatawriter.
authentication_type int Applies to: SQL Server 2012 (11.x) and later.

Signifies authentication type. The following are the possible values and their descriptions.

0 : No authentication
1 : Instance authentication
2 : Database authentication
3 : Windows authentication
4 : Microsoft Entra authentication
authentication_type_desc nvarchar(60) Applies to: SQL Server 2012 (11.x) and later.

Description of the authentication type. The following are the possible values and their descriptions.

NONE : No authentication
INSTANCE : Instance authentication
DATABASE : Database authentication
WINDOWS : Windows authentication
EXTERNAL: Microsoft Entra authentication
default_language_name sysname Applies to: SQL Server 2012 (11.x) and later.

Signifies the default language for this principal.
default_language_lcid int Applies to: SQL Server 2012 (11.x) and later.

Signifies the default LCID for this principal.
allow_encrypted_value_modifications bit Applies to: SQL Server 2016 (13.x) and later, SQL Database.

Suppresses cryptographic metadata checks on the server in bulk copy operations. This enables the user to bulk copy data encrypted using Always Encrypted, between tables or databases, without decrypting the data. The default is OFF.

Remarks

The PasswordLastSetTime properties are available on all supported configurations of SQL Server, but the other properties are only available when SQL Server is running on Windows Server 2003 or later and both CHECK_POLICY and CHECK_EXPIRATION are enabled. See Password Policy for more information. The values of the principal_id may be reused in the case that principals have been dropped and therefore is not guaranteed to be ever-increasing.

Permissions

Any user can see their own user name, the system users, and the fixed database roles. To see other users, requires ALTER ANY USER, or a permission on the user. To see user-defined roles, requires ALTER ANY ROLE, or membership in the role.

Examples

A: Listing all the permissions of database principals

The following query lists the permissions explicitly granted or denied to database principals.

Important

The permissions of fixed database roles do not appear in sys.database_permissions. Therefore, database principals may have additional permissions not listed here.

SELECT pr.principal_id, pr.name, pr.type_desc,   
    pr.authentication_type_desc, pe.state_desc, pe.permission_name  
FROM sys.database_principals AS pr  
JOIN sys.database_permissions AS pe  
    ON pe.grantee_principal_id = pr.principal_id;  

B: Listing permissions on schema objects within a database

The following query joins sys.database_principals and sys.database_permissions to sys.objects and sys.schemas to list permissions granted or denied to specific schema objects.

SELECT pr.principal_id, pr.name, pr.type_desc,   
    pr.authentication_type_desc, pe.state_desc,   
    pe.permission_name, s.name + '.' + o.name AS ObjectName  
FROM sys.database_principals AS pr  
JOIN sys.database_permissions AS pe  
    ON pe.grantee_principal_id = pr.principal_id  
JOIN sys.objects AS o  
    ON pe.major_id = o.object_id  
JOIN sys.schemas AS s  
    ON o.schema_id = s.schema_id;  

Examples: Azure Synapse Analytics and Analytics Platform System (PDW)

C: Listing all the permissions of database principals

The following query lists the permissions explicitly granted or denied to database principals.

Important

The permissions of fixed database roles do not appear in sys.database_permissions. Therefore, database principals may have additional permissions not listed here.

SELECT pr.principal_id, pr.name, pr.type_desc,   
    pr.authentication_type_desc, pe.state_desc, pe.permission_name  
FROM sys.database_principals AS pr  
JOIN sys.database_permissions AS pe  
    ON pe.grantee_principal_id = pr.principal_id;  

D: Listing permissions on schema objects within a database

The following query joins sys.database_principals and sys.database_permissions to sys.objects and sys.schemas to list permissions granted or denied to specific schema objects.

SELECT pr.principal_id, pr.name, pr.type_desc,   
    pr.authentication_type_desc, pe.state_desc,   
    pe.permission_name, s.name + '.' + o.name AS ObjectName  
FROM sys.database_principals AS pr  
JOIN sys.database_permissions AS pe  
    ON pe.grantee_principal_id = pr.principal_id  
JOIN sys.objects AS o  
    ON pe.major_id = o.object_id  
JOIN sys.schemas AS s  
    ON o.schema_id = s.schema_id;  

See Also

Principals (Database Engine)
sys.server_principals (Transact-SQL)
Security Catalog Views (Transact-SQL)
Contained Database Users - Making Your Database Portable
Connecting to Azure SQL with Microsoft Entra authentication