--- description: "Security Catalog Views (Transact-SQL)" title: "Security Catalog Views (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "02/27/2017" ms.prod: sql ms.prod_service: "database-engine" ms.reviewer: "" ms.technology: system-objects ms.topic: "reference" dev_langs: - "TSQL" helpviewer_keywords: - "cryptography [SQL Server], catalog views" - "encryption [SQL Server], catalog views" - "catalog views [SQL Server], security" - "security catalog views [SQL Server]" ms.assetid: 4d5cf1bf-09a7-4ee0-9dbb-5c584750fc67 author: VanMSFT ms.author: vanto --- # Security Catalog Views (Transact-SQL) [!INCLUDE [SQL Server](../../includes/applies-to-version/sqlserver.md)] Security information is exposed in catalog views that are optimized for performance and utility. When possible, use the following catalog views to access catalog metadata. ## Database-Level Views :::row::: :::column::: [sys.database_permissions](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-permissions-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.database_scoped_credentials](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-scoped-credentials-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.database_principals](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-principals-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.master_key_passwords](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-master-key-passwords-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.database_role_members](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-role-members-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.user_token](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-user-token-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end:::   ## Server-Level Views :::row::: :::column::: [sys.credentials](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-credentials-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.server_principals](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-principals-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.login_token](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-login-token-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.server_role_members](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-role-members-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.securable_classes](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-securable-classes-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.sql_logins](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-sql-logins-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.server_permissions](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-permissions-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.system_components_surface_area_configuration](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-system-components-surface-area-configuration-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end:::   ## Encryption Views :::row::: :::column::: [sys.asymmetric_keys](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-asymmetric-keys-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.cryptographic_providers](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-cryptographic-providers-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.certificates](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-certificates-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.key_encryptions](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-key-encryptions-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.column_encryption_key_values](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-column-encryption-key-values-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.openkeys](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-openkeys-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.column_encryption_keys](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-column-encryption-keys-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.security_policies (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-security-policies-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.column_master_keys](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-column-master-keys-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.security_predicates (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-security-predicates-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.crypt_properties](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-crypt-properties-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.symmetric_keys](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-symmetric-keys-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end:::   ## SQL Server Audit Views :::row::: :::column::: [sys.server_audits](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-audits-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.server_file_audits](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-file-audits-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.server_audit_specifications](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-audit-specifications-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.server_audit_specifications_details](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-audit-specification-details-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end::: :::row::: :::column::: [sys.database_audit_specifications](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-audit-specifications-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::column::: [sys.database_audit_specification_details](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-audit-specification-details-transact-sql.md) :::column-end::: :::row-end:::   ## Permissions [!INCLUDE[ssCatViewPerm](../../includes/sscatviewperm-md.md)] For more information, see [Metadata Visibility Configuration](../../relational-databases/security/metadata-visibility-configuration.md). ## See Also [Security Center for SQL Server Database Engine and Azure SQL Database](../../relational-databases/security/security-center-for-sql-server-database-engine-and-azure-sql-database.md) [Security-Related Dynamic Management Views and Functions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-dynamic-management-views/security-related-dynamic-management-views-and-functions-transact-sql.md)