--- title: "GRANT Server Permissions (Transact-SQL) | Microsoft Docs" ms.custom: "" ms.date: "08/10/2017" ms.prod: "sql-non-specified" ms.reviewer: "" ms.suite: "" ms.technology: - "database-engine" ms.tgt_pltfrm: "" ms.topic: "language-reference" dev_langs: - "TSQL" helpviewer_keywords: - "GRANT statement, servers" - "permissions [SQL Server], servers" - "servers [SQL Server], permissions" - "granting permissions [SQL Server], servers" ms.assetid: 7e880a5a-3bdc-491f-a167-7a9ed338be7f caps.latest.revision: 36 author: "BYHAM" ms.author: "rickbyh" manager: "jhubbard" --- # GRANT Server Permissions (Transact-SQL) [!INCLUDE[tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx_md](../../includes/tsql-appliesto-ss2008-xxxx-xxxx-xxx-md.md)] Grants permissions on a server. ![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 ``` GRANT permission [ ,...n ] TO [ ,...n ] [ WITH GRANT OPTION ] [ AS ] ::= SQL_Server_login | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_login | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_group | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_certificate | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_asymmetric_key | server_role ::= SQL_Server_login | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_login | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_group | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_certificate | SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_asymmetric_key | server_role ``` ## Arguments *permission* Specifies a permission that can be granted on a server. For a list of the permissions, see the Remarks section later in this topic. TO \ Specifies the principal to which the permission is being granted. AS \ Specifies the principal from which the principal executing this query derives its right to grant the permission. WITH GRANT OPTION Indicates that the principal will also be given the ability to grant the specified permission to other principals. *SQL_Server_login* Specifies a [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] login. *SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_login* Specifies a [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] login mapped to a Windows login. *SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_Windows_group* Specifies a [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] login mapped to a Windows group. *SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_certificate* Specifies a [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] login mapped to a certificate. *SQL_Server_login_mapped_to_asymmetric_key* Specifies a [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] login mapped to an asymmetric key. *server_role* Specifies a user-defined server role. ## Remarks Permissions at the server scope can be granted only when the current database is master. Information about server permissions can be viewed in the [sys.server_permissions](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-permissions-transact-sql.md) catalog view, and information about server principals can be viewed in the [sys.server_principals](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-principals-transact-sql.md) catalog view. Information about membership of server roles can be viewd in the [sys.server_role_members](../../relational-databases/system-catalog-views/sys-server-role-members-transact-sql.md) catalog view. A server is the highest level of the permissions hierarchy. The most specific and limited permissions that can be granted on a server are listed in the following table. |Server permission|Implied by server permission| |-----------------------|----------------------------------| |ADMINISTER BULK OPERATIONS|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY AVAILABILITY GROUP

**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../../includes/sssql11-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY CONNECTION|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY CREDENTIAL|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY DATABASE|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY ENDPOINT|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY EVENT SESSION|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY LINKED SERVER|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY LOGIN|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY SERVER AUDIT|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER ANY SERVER ROLE

**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../../includes/sssql11-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER RESOURCES|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER SERVER STATE|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER SETTINGS|CONTROL SERVER| |ALTER TRACE|CONTROL SERVER| |AUTHENTICATE SERVER|CONTROL SERVER| |CONNECT ANY DATABASE

**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssSQL14](../../includes/sssql14-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|CONTROL SERVER| |CONNECT SQL|CONTROL SERVER| |CONTROL SERVER|CONTROL SERVER| |CREATE ANY DATABASE|ALTER ANY DATABASE| |CREATE AVAILABILITY GROUP

**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../../includes/sssql11-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|ALTER ANY AVAILABILITY GROUP| |CREATE DDL EVENT NOTIFICATION|ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION| |CREATE ENDPOINT|ALTER ANY ENDPOINT| |CREATE SERVER ROLE

**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssSQL11](../../includes/sssql11-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|ALTER ANY SERVER ROLE| |CREATE TRACE EVENT NOTIFICATION|ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION| |EXTERNAL ACCESS ASSEMBLY|CONTROL SERVER| |IMPERSONATE ANY LOGIN

**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssSQL14](../../includes/sssql14-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|CONTROL SERVER| |SELECT ALL USER SECURABLES

**Applies to**: [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] ([!INCLUDE[ssSQL14](../../includes/sssql14-md.md)] through [current version](http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/p/?LinkId=299658)).|CONTROL SERVER| |SHUTDOWN|CONTROL SERVER| |UNSAFE ASSEMBLY|CONTROL SERVER| |VIEW ANY DATABASE|VIEW ANY DEFINITION| |VIEW ANY DEFINITION|CONTROL SERVER| |VIEW SERVER STATE|ALTER SERVER STATE| ## Remarks The following three server permissions were added in [!INCLUDE[ssSQL14](../../includes/sssql14-md.md)]. **CONNECT ANY DATABASE** Permission Grant **CONNECT ANY DATABASE** to a login that must connect to all databases that currently exist and to any new databases that might be created in future. Does not grant any permission in any database beyond connect. Combine with **SELECT ALL USER SECURABLES** or **VIEW SERVER STATE** to allow an auditing process to view all data or all database states on the instance of [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)]. **IMPERSONATE ANY LOGIN** Permission When granted, allows a middle-tier process to impersonate the account of clients connecting to it, as it connects to databases. When denied, a high privileged login can be blocked from impersonating other logins. For example, a login with **CONTROL SERVER** permission can be blocked from impersonating other logins. **SELECT ALL USER SECURABLES** Permission When granted, a login such as an auditor can view data in all databases that the user can connect to. When denied, prevents access to objects unless they are in the **sys** schema. ## 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. Members of the sysadmin fixed server role can grant any permission. ## Examples ### A. Granting a permission to a login The following example grants `CONTROL SERVER` permission to the [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] login `TerryEminhizer`. ``` USE master; GRANT CONTROL SERVER TO TerryEminhizer; GO ``` ### B. Granting a permission that has GRANT permission The following example grants `ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION` to [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] login `JanethEsteves` with the right to grant that permission to another login. ``` USE master; GRANT ALTER ANY EVENT NOTIFICATION TO JanethEsteves WITH GRANT OPTION; GO ``` ### C. Granting a permission to a server role The following example creates two server roles named `ITDevAdmin` and `ITDevelopers`. It grants the `ALTER ANY DATABASE` permission to the `ITDevAdmin` user-defined server role including the `WITH GRANT` option so that the `ITDevAdmin` server role can reassign the `ALTER ANY DATABASE` permission. Then, the example grants the `ITDevelopers` the permission to use the `ALTER ANY DATABASE` permission of the `ITDevAdmin` server role. ``` USE master; CREATE SERVER ROLE ITDevAdmin ; CREATE SERVER ROLE ITDevelopers ; GRANT ALTER ANY DATABASE TO ITDevAdmin WITH GRANT OPTION ; GRANT ALTER ANY DATABASE TO ITDevelopers AS ITDevAdmin ; GO ``` ## See Also [GRANT (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/grant-transact-sql.md) [DENY (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/deny-transact-sql.md) [DENY Server Permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/deny-server-permissions-transact-sql.md) [REVOKE Server Permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/statements/revoke-server-permissions-transact-sql.md) [Permissions Hierarchy (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/permissions-hierarchy-database-engine.md) [Principals (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/authentication-access/principals-database-engine.md) [Permissions (Database Engine)](../../relational-databases/security/permissions-database-engine.md) [sys.fn_builtin_permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-functions/sys-fn-builtin-permissions-transact-sql.md) [sys.fn_my_permissions (Transact-SQL)](../../relational-databases/system-functions/sys-fn-my-permissions-transact-sql.md) [HAS_PERMS_BY_NAME (Transact-SQL)](../../t-sql/functions/has-perms-by-name-transact-sql.md)