---
title: "Permissions Hierarchy (Database Engine) | Microsoft Docs"
ms.custom: ""
ms.date: "03/23/2016"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2016"
ms.reviewer: ""
ms.suite: ""
ms.technology: 
  - "database-engine"
ms.tgt_pltfrm: ""
ms.topic: "article"
f1_keywords: 
  - "sql13.swb.server.permissions.f1--May use common.permissions"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "security [SQL Server], denying access"
  - "hierarchies [SQL Server], permissions"
  - "securables [SQL Server]"
  - "security [SQL Server], permissions"
  - "permissions [SQL Server], hierarchy"
  - "security [SQL Server], granting access"
ms.assetid: f6d20a55-ef03-4e14-85f9-009902889866
caps.latest.revision: 37
author: "BYHAM"
ms.author: "rickbyh"
manager: "jhubbard"
---
# Permissions Hierarchy (Database Engine)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-all-md.md)]

  The [!INCLUDE[ssDE](../../includes/ssde-md.md)] manages a hierarchical collection of entities that can be secured with permissions. These entities are known as *securables*. The most prominent securables are servers and databases, but discrete permissions can be set at a much finer level. [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] regulates the actions of principals on securables by verifying that they have been granted appropriate permissions.  
  
 The following illustration shows the relationships among the [!INCLUDE[ssDE](../../includes/ssde-md.md)] permissions hierarchies.  
  
 The permissions system works the same in all versions of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)], [!INCLUDE[ssSDS](../../includes/sssds-md.md)], [!INCLUDE[ssDW](../../includes/ssdw-md.md)], [!INCLUDE[ssAPS](../../includes/ssaps-md.md)], however some features are not available in all versions. For example, server-level permission cannot be configured in Azure products.  
  
 ![Diagram of Database Engine permissions hierarchies](../../relational-databases/security/media/wj-security-layers.gif "Diagram of Database Engine permissions hierarchies")  
  
## Chart of SQL Server Permissions  
 For a poster sized chart of all [!INCLUDE[ssDE](../../includes/ssde-md.md)] permissions in pdf format, see [http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=229142](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=229142).  
  
## Working with Permissions  
 Permissions can be manipulated with the familiar [!INCLUDE[tsql](../../includes/tsql-md.md)] queries GRANT, DENY, and REVOKE. Information about permissions is visible in the [sys.server_permissions](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-permissions-transact-sql.md) and [sys.database_permissions](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-permissions-transact-sql.md) catalog views. There is also support for querying permissions information by using built-in functions.  
  
 For information about designing a permissions system, see [Getting Started with Database Engine Permissions](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/getting-started-with-database-engine-permissions.md).  
  
## See Also  
 [Securing SQL Server](../../relational-databases/security/securing-sql-server.md)   
 [Permissions (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/permissions-database-engine.md)   
 [Securables](../../relational-databases/security/securables.md)   
 [Principals (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/principals-database-engine.md)   
 [GRANT (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/grant-transact-sql.md)   
 [REVOKE (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/revoke-transact-sql.md)   
 [DENY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/deny-transact-sql.md)   
 [HAS_PERMS_BY_NAME (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/has-perms-by-name-transact-sql.md)   
 [sys.fn_builtin_permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-functions/sys-fn-builtin-permissions-transact-sql.md)   
 [sys.server_permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-permissions-transact-sql.md)   
 [sys.database_permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-database-permissions-transact-sql.md)