| title | description | author | ms.author | ms.date | ms.service | ms.subservice | ms.topic | ms.custom | helpviewer_keywords | monikerRange | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Credentials (Database Engine) |
Learn about credentials in SQL Server. Get acquainted with the authentication information required to connect to a resource outside SQL Server. |
VanMSFT |
vanto |
06/27/2019 |
sql |
security |
conceptual |
|
|
>=aps-pdw-2016 || =azuresqldb-current || =azure-sqldw-latest || >=sql-server-2016 || >=sql-server-linux-2017 || =azuresqldb-mi-current || =fabric |
[!INCLUDE SQL Server Azure SQL Database Azure SQL Managed Instance Azure Synapse Analytics PDW FabricSQLDB]
A credential is a record that contains the authentication information (credentials) required to connect to a resource outside [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. This information is used internally by [!INCLUDEssNoVersion]. Most credentials contain a Windows user name and password.
The information stored in a credential enables a user who has connected to [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] by way of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] Authentication to access resources outside the server instance. When the external resource is Windows, the user is authenticated as the Windows user specified in the credential. A single credential can only be mapped to a single [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] login. And a [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] login can be mapped to only one credential.
For credentials that are stored in the master database and can be used throughout the instance of [!INCLUDEssNoVersion], see CREATE CREDENTIAL (Transact-SQL). For credentials used by a specific database, and portable with that database, see CREATE DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL (Transact-SQL).
System credentials are created automatically and are associated with specific endpoints. Names for system credentials start with two hash signs (##).
For more information about credentials, see the sys.credentials and sys.database_scoped_credentials catalog views.
In Fabric SQL database, Microsoft Entra ID for database users is the only supported authentication method. Only database-scoped credentials are supported.
Create a Credential
CREATE CREDENTIAL (Transact-SQL)
CREATE DATABASE SCOPED CREDENTIAL (Transact-SQL)
Securing SQL Server