The System Administrator

The SQL Server system administrator has a different role from the database developer. The system administrator is responsible for setting up and maintaining SQL Server. Administering SQL Server includes such tasks as:

• Installing SQL Server
• Creating devices and databases
• Managing and monitoring the use of disk space, memory, and connections
• Authorizing SQL Server login IDs and granting permissions to them
• Backing up and restoring databases
• Diagnosing system problems
• Fine-tuning SQL Server to achieve the best performance

Additionally, a system administrator, like a database developer, can create objects in any database and can add, change, or delete data in any database.

With SQL Server, the system administrator has absolute power and can do anything. SQL Server does not check for permissions before the administrator does something. Additionally, the system administrator can issue commands and system procedures that no one else can issue (and that cannot be transferred to others).

Where appropriate, the system administrator can transfer some responsibilities to other users. For more information about responsibilities that can be transferred, see the Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Companion.

The system administrator is the owner of the master database. This database is considered the system catalog, because it stores information about the user databases and the operation of SQL Server as a whole. Additionally, the system administrator is the owner of other databases while they are in use by the administrator.

For more information about the system administrator and administering SQL Server, see the Microsoft SQL Server Administrator's Companion.