difference between SYSTEM_USER and USER

[Zlatko Matiæ]

Excuse me, what is the difference between user and system_user and which
function should be used in audit trail table ?
Thanks.

[Mike Epprecht \(SQL MVP\)]

Hi

From BOL:
"If the current user is logged in to Microsoft® SQL ServerT using Windows
Authentication, SYSTEM_USER returns the Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0 login
identification name, for example, DOMAIN\user_login_name. However, if the
current user is logged in to SQL Server using SQL Server Authentication,
SYSTEM_USER returns the SQL Server login identification name, for example,
sa for a user logged in as sa."

USER only works with SQL Security.
--
--------------------------------
Mike Epprecht, Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Zurich, Switzerland

IM: mi**@epprecht.net

MVP Program: http://www.microsoft.com/mvp

Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/epprecht/

"Zlatko Matiæ" <zl***********@sb.t-com.hr> wrote in message
news:d1**********@ls219.htnet.hr...

Excuse me, what is the difference between user and system_user and which
function should be used in audit trail table ?
Thanks.

[Zlatko Matiæ]

I have noticed that system_user returns "sa" while user returns "dbo". What
is the difference and which to use in audit trail table?
Thanks.

"Mike Epprecht (SQL MVP)" <mi**@epprecht.net> je napisao u poruci interesnoj
grupi:42********@news.bluewin.ch...

Hi

From BOL:
"If the current user is logged in to Microsoft® SQL ServerT using Windows
Authentication, SYSTEM_USER returns the Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0
login
identification name, for example, DOMAIN\user_login_name. However, if the
current user is logged in to SQL Server using SQL Server Authentication,
SYSTEM_USER returns the SQL Server login identification name, for example,
sa for a user logged in as sa."

USER only works with SQL Security.
--
--------------------------------
Mike Epprecht, Microsoft SQL Server MVP
Zurich, Switzerland

IM: mi**@epprecht.net

MVP Program: http://www.microsoft.com/mvp

Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/epprecht/

"Zlatko Matiæ" <zl***********@sb.t-com.hr> wrote in message
news:d1**********@ls219.htnet.hr...

Excuse me, what is the difference between user and system_user and which
function should be used in audit trail table ?
Thanks.

[Erland Sommarskog]

Zlatko Matiæ (zl***********@sb.t-com.hr) writes:

Excuse me, what is the difference between user and system_user and which
function should be used in audit trail table ?

Depends on your business requirements.

SYSTEM_USER returns the server login, USER returns the database user. Often
a login maps to a database user with the same name, but at least for SQL
logins this does not have to be the case. (And I think it can happen with
Window logins as well, if you move a database from one server to
another.)

As a general answer, I would recommend SYSTEM_USER, unless there are some
special requirements that calls for something else.
--
Erland Sommarskog, SQL Server MVP, es****@sommarskog.se

Books Online for SQL Server SP3 at
http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinf...2000/books.asp