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GRANT Symmetric Key Permissions (Transact-SQL)

Grants permissions on a symmetric key.

Topic link iconTransact-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