How to list role members in SQL Server 2008 R2

Question

I'm using the following T-SQL to obtain role members from my SQL Server 2008 R2 database:

select rp.name as database_role, mp.name as database_user
from sys.database_role_members drm
  join sys.database_principals rp on (drm.role_principal_id = rp.principal_id)
  join sys.database_principals mp on (drm.member_principal_id = mp.principal_id)
order by rp.name

When I examine the output I notice that the only role members listed for db_datareader are db roles - no user members of db_datareader are listed in the query.

Why is that? How can I also list the user members of my db roles?

I guess I should also ask whether the table sys.database_role_members actually contains all members of a role?

Answer 1

I've worked out what's going on.

When I queried out the role members I was comparing the output with what SSMS listed as role members in the role's properties dialog - this included users as well as roles, but the users weren't being listed by the query as listed in my question. I turns out that when listing role members, SSMS expands members that are roles to display the members of those roles.

The following query replicates the way in which SSMS lists role members:

WITH RoleMembers (member_principal_id, role_principal_id) 
AS 
(
  SELECT 
   rm1.member_principal_id, 
   rm1.role_principal_id
  FROM sys.database_role_members rm1 (NOLOCK)
   UNION ALL
  SELECT 
   d.member_principal_id, 
   rm.role_principal_id
  FROM sys.database_role_members rm (NOLOCK)
   INNER JOIN RoleMembers AS d 
   ON rm.member_principal_id = d.role_principal_id
)
select distinct rp.name as database_role, mp.name as database_userl
from RoleMembers drm
  join sys.database_principals rp on (drm.role_principal_id = rp.principal_id)
  join sys.database_principals mp on (drm.member_principal_id = mp.principal_id)
order by rp.name

The above query uses a recursive CTE to expand a role into it's user members.

Answer 2

Here is another way

SELECT dp.name , us.name  
FROM sys.sysusers us right 
JOIN  sys.database_role_members rm ON us.uid = rm.member_principal_id
JOIN sys.database_principals dp ON rm.role_principal_id =  dp.principal_id

Answer 3

Try this

;with ServerPermsAndRoles as
(
    select
        spr.name as principal_name,
        spr.type_desc as principal_type,
        spm.permission_name collate SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS as security_entity,
        'permission' as security_type,
        spm.state_desc
    from sys.server_principals spr
    inner join sys.server_permissions spm
    on spr.principal_id = spm.grantee_principal_id
    where spr.type in ('s', 'u')

    union all

    select
        sp.name as principal_name,
        sp.type_desc as principal_type,
        spr.name as security_entity,
        'role membership' as security_type,
        null as state_desc
    from sys.server_principals sp
    inner join sys.server_role_members srm
    on sp.principal_id = srm.member_principal_id
    inner join sys.server_principals spr
    on srm.role_principal_id = spr.principal_id
    where sp.type in ('s', 'u')
)
select *
from ServerPermsAndRoles
order by principal_name

(Or)

SELECT p.name, o.name, d.*
FROM sys.database_principals AS p
JOIN sys.database_permissions AS d ON d.grantee_principal_id = p.principal_id
JOIN sys.objects AS o ON o.object_id = d.major_id