MariaDB Authorization and Permissions for SQL Server Users
Understanding Accounts and Users
MariaDB authorizes access and check permissions on accounts, rather than users. Even if MariaDB supports standard SQL commands like `CREATE USER` and `DROP USER`, it is important to remember that it actually works with accounts.
An account is specified in the format `'user'@'host'`. The quotes are optional and allow to include special characters, like dots. The host part can actually be a pattern, which follows the same syntax used in `LIKE` comparisons. Patterns are often convenient because they can match several hostnames.
Here are some examples.
Omitting the host part indicates an account that can access from any host. So the following statements are equivalent:
``` CREATE USER viviana; CREATE USER viviana@'%'; ```
Accounts are not bound to a specific database. They are global. Once an account is created, it is possible to assign it permissions on any existing or non existing database.
The sql_mode system variable has a `NO_AUTO_CREATE_USER` flag. In recent MariaDB versions it is enabled by default. If it is not enabled, the `GRANT` statement creates the specified account in case it doesn't exist.
For more information: Account Management SQL Commands.
