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title: "SYMKEYPROPERTY (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs"
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# SYMKEYPROPERTY (Transact-SQL)
[!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-asdb-xxxx-xxx-md.md)]

  Returns the algorithm of a symmetric key created from an EKM module.  
  
 ![Topic link icon](../../database-engine/configure-windows/media/topic-link.gif "Topic link icon") [Transact-SQL Syntax Conventions](../../t-sql/language-elements/transact-sql-syntax-conventions-transact-sql.md)  
  
## Syntax  
  
```  
  
SYMKEYPROPERTY ( Key_ID , 'algorithm_desc' | 'string_sid' | 'sid' )  
```  
  
## Arguments  
 *Key_ID*  
 Is the Key_ID of a symmetric key in the database. To find the Key_ID when you only know the key name, use SYMKEY_ID. *Key_ID* is data type **int**.  
  
 **'**algorithm_desc**'**  
 Specifies that the output returns the algorithm description of the symmetric key. Only available for symmetric keys created from an EKM module.  
  
## Return Types  
 **sql_variant**  
  
## Permissions  
 Requires some permission on the symmetric key and that the caller has not been denied VIEW permission on the symmetric key.  
  
## Examples  
 The following example returns the algorithm of the symmetric key with Key_ID 256.  
  
```  
SELECT SYMKEYPROPERTY(256, 'algorithm_desc') AS Algorithm ;  
GO  
```  
  
## See Also  
 [ASYMKEY_ID (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/asymkey-id-transact-sql.md)   
 [ALTER SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/alter-symmetric-key-transact-sql.md)   
 [DROP SYMMETRIC KEY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/drop-symmetric-key-transact-sql.md)   
 [Encryption Hierarchy](../../relational-databases/security/encryption/encryption-hierarchy.md)   
 [sys.symmetric_keys (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-symmetric-keys-transact-sql.md)   
 [Security Catalog Views (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/security-catalog-views-transact-sql.md)   
 [KEY_ID (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/key-id-transact-sql.md)   
 [ASYMKEYPROPERTY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/asymkeyproperty-transact-sql.md)