SQL Server - How to Grant Read Access to ALL databases to a Login?

Question

I need to give a new login read access to all 300 databases on a server. How can I accomplish this without checking 300 checkboxes in the user mapping area?

Answer 1

One way would be to Set "Results to Text" on the query menu in SSMS then execute the below.

It doesn't actually make the change but generates a script for you to review and execute.

SET NOCOUNT ON;

DECLARE @user_name    SYSNAME
        , @login_name SYSNAME;

SELECT @user_name = 'user_name',
       @login_name = 'login_name'

SELECT '
    USE ' + QUOTENAME(NAME) + ';

    CREATE USER ' + QUOTENAME(@user_name)
       + ' FOR LOGIN ' + QUOTENAME(@login_name)
       + ' WITH DEFAULT_SCHEMA=[dbo];

    EXEC sys.sp_addrolemember
      ''db_datareader'',
      ''' + QUOTENAME(@user_name) + ''';

    EXEC sys.sp_addrolemember
      ''db_denydatawriter'',
      '''
       + QUOTENAME(@user_name) + '''; 

GO
'
FROM   sys.databases
WHERE  database_id > 4
       AND state_desc = 'ONLINE' 

Or you could look at sys.sp_MSforeachdb as here or Aaron Bertrand's improved version here

If you are not seeing all of the characters when you run this, open the Query Options for Text and check the setting for 'Maximum number of characters displayed in each column'. Make sure this is set to a value large enough to display all characters.