| Role |
Description |
| sysadmin |
This role has ownership of SQL Server. This is similar to Domain Admins or the Administrator account in Windows. |
| serveradmin |
This role sets serverwide configuration options and can also shut down the server. This is similar to the Windows Power Users local group. |
| setupadmin |
There's no real counterpart in Windows to the following roles—except maybe using Group Policy Objects. This role can link to other SQL Servers and can change startup procedures for the server. |
| securityadmin |
This role creates logins and also has the CREATE DATABASE permission. It can also read error logs and manage passwords. |
| processadmin |
You may find this role useful to assign to developers. It allows an account to manage SQL Server processes. It can save you a phone call. |
| dbcreator |
This role can create, alter, and drop databases. |
| diskadmin |
If you're managing a large database server, this role allows an account to manage the disk files. |
| bulkadmin |
This role allows an account to insert large amounts of data into tables. You'll often see this role used in OPAL shops. |