SQL Server: Find Users in SQL Server
Question:Is there a query to run in SQL Server that will return all Users created?
Answer: In SQL Server, there is a system view called sys.database_principals. You can run a query against this system view that returns all of the Users that have been created in SQL Server as well as information about these Users.
To retrieve all Users in SQL Server, you can execute the following SQL statement:
SELECT * FROM master.sys.database_principals;
The sys.database_principals view contains the following columns:
| Column | Explanation |
|---|---|
| name | This is the user_name that was assigned in CREATE USER statement |
| principal_id | Unique numeric value |
| type | Type of principal S = SQL Server user U = Windows user G = Windows group A = Application role R = Database role C = Certificate mapped K = Asymmetric key mapped |
| type_desc | Description for type of principal SQL_USER WINDOWS_USER WINDOWS_GROUP APPLICATION_ROLE DATABASE_ROLE CERTIFICATE_MAPPED_USER ASSYMETRIC_KEY_MAPPED_USER |
| default_schema_name | Name to use when schema is not specified |
| create_date | Date/time when User was created using the CREATE USER statement |
| modify_date | Date/time when User was modified |
| owning_principal_id | ID of the principal that owns this user |
| sid | This is th sid that was assigned using the CREATE LOGIN statement |
| is_fixed_role | 0 or 1 |
| authentication_type | NONE, WINDOWS, INSTANCE |
| default_language_name | |
| default_language_lcid |
Older Version Compatibility
In older versions of SQL Server, you can retrieve all Users using the SQL Server 2000 system tables such as the sys.sysusers table.
To retrieve all Users in SQL Server using the SQL Server 2000 system tables, you can execute the following SQL statement:
SELECT * FROM master.sys.sysusers;
The sys.sysusers system table (SQL Server 2000) contains the following columns:
| Column | Explanation |
|---|---|
| uid | Unique numeric value |
| status | Not used |
| name | This is the user_name that was assigned in CREATE USER statement |
| sid | This is the sid that was assigned in CREATE LOGIN statement |
| roles | Not used |
| createdate | Date/time when User was created using the CREATE USER statement |
| updatedate | Date/time when User was modified |
| altuid | Not used |
| password | No used |
| gid | Group ID assigned to the User |
| environ | Not used |
| hasdbaccess | 0 or 1 |
| islogin | 0 or 1 |
| isntname | 0 or 1 |
| isntgroup | 0 or 1 |
| isntuser | 0 or 1 |
| issqluser | 0 or 1 |
| isaliased | 0 or 1 |
| issqlrole | 0 or 1 |
| isapprole | 0 or 1 |