GRANT Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL)

Grants permissions on a symmetric key.

Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions

Syntax

GRANT permission [ ,...n ]  
    ON SYMMETRIC KEY ::symmetric_key_name 
    TO <database_principal> [ ,...n ] [ WITH GRANT OPTION ]
        [ AS <database_principal> ] 

<database_principal> ::= Database_user 
    | Database_role 
    | Application_role 
    | Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_User 
    | Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_Group 
    | Database_user_mapped_to_certificate 
    | Database_user_mapped_to_asymmetric_key 
    | Database_user_with_no_login

Arguments

• permission
  Specifies a permission that can be granted on a symmetric key. For a list of the permissions, see the Remarks section later in this topic.

• ON SYMMETRIC KEY ::asymmetric_key_name
  Specifies the symmetric key on which the permission is being granted. The scope qualifier (::) is required.

• TO <database_principal>
  Specifies the principal to which the permission is being granted.

• WITH GRANT OPTION
  Indicates that the principal will also be given the ability to grant the specified permission to other principals.

• AS <database_principal>
  Specifies a principal from which the principal executing this query derives its right to grant the permission.

• Database_user
  Specifies a database user.

• Database_role
  Specifies a database role.

• Application_role
  Specifies an application role.

• Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_User
  Specifies a database user mapped to a Windows user.

• Database_user_mapped_to_Windows_Group
  Specifies a database user mapped to a Windows group.

• Database_user_mapped_to_certificate
  Specifies a database user mapped to a certificate.

• Database_user_mapped_to_asymmetric_key
  Specifies a database user mapped to an asymmetric key.

• Database_user_with_no_login
  Specifies a database user with no corresponding server-level principal.

Remarks

Information about symmetric keys is visible in the sys.symmetric_keys catalog view.

A symmetric key is a database-level securable contained by the database that is its parent in the permissions hierarchy. The most specific and limited permissions that can be granted on a symmetric key are listed in the following table, together with the more general permissions that include them by implication.

Symmetric key permission	Implied by symmetric key permission	Implied by database permission
ALTER	CONTROL	ALTER ANY SYMMETRIC KEY
CONTROL	CONTROL	CONTROL
REFERENCES	CONTROL	REFERENCES
TAKE OWNERSHIP	CONTROL	CONTROL
VIEW DEFINITION	CONTROL	VIEW DEFINITION

Permissions

The grantor (or the principal specified with the AS option) must have either the permission itself with GRANT OPTION, or a higher permission that implies the permission being granted.

If you are using the AS option, the following additional requirements apply.

AS granting_principal	Additional permission required
Database user	IMPERSONATE permission on the user, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.
Database user mapped to a Windows login	IMPERSONATE permission on the user, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.
Database user mapped to a Windows group	Membership in the Windows group, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.
Database user mapped to a certificate	Membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.
Database user mapped to an asymmetric key	Membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.
Database user not mapped to any server principal	IMPERSONATE permission on the user, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.
Database role	ALTER permission on the role, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.
Application role	ALTER permission on the role, membership in the db_securityadmin fixed database role, membership in the db_owner fixed database role, or membership in the sysadmin fixed server role.

Principals with CONTROL permission on a securable can grant permission on that securable.

Grantees of CONTROL SERVER permission, such as members of the sysadmin fixed server role, can grant any permission on any securable in the server. Grantees of CONTROL permission on a database, such as members of the db_owner fixed database role, can grant any permission on any securable in the database.

Examples

The following example grants ALTER permission on the symmetric key SamInventory42 to the database user HamidS.

USE AdventureWorks;
GRANT ALTER ON SYMMETRIC KEY::SamInventory42 TO HamidS;
GO

See Also

Reference

sys.symmetric_keys (Transact-SQL)

DENY Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL)

REVOKE Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL)

CREATE SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)

Encryption Hierarchy

Concepts

Permissions (Database Engine)

Principals (Database Engine)