How to easily Identify the service account of a SQL Server
Introduction
The service account of a SQL Server is the account under which the SQL Server service runs. It is essential for managing security, permissions, and accessing resources required for the SQL Server’s proper functioning. In this blog post, we will show you how to easily identify the service account of a SQL Server using different methods.
Method 1: SQL Server Configuration Manager
- Open SQL Server Configuration Manager:
To open SQL Server Configuration Manager, press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box, type sqlservermanager15.msc for SQL Server 2019 (or replace ’15’ with the appropriate version number for your SQL Server), and press Enter.
- Locate SQL Server service:
In the left pane of SQL Server Configuration Manager, click on “SQL Server Services.” In the right pane, locate the SQL Server service you want to identify the service account for (usually named “SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)” or “SQL Server (InstanceName)”).
- Identify the service account:
In the right pane, look at the “Log On As” column for the SQL Server service you selected. The value displayed in that column is the service account for the SQL Server.
Method 2: T-SQL Query
Probably the easiest method if you are not connected to the SQL Server directly. It is definitely my preferred method
- Connect to your SQL Server:
Connect to your SQL Server using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio.
- Open a new query window:
After connecting to your SQL Server, open a new query window in SSMS or Azure Data Studio.
- Execute the T-SQL query:
To identify the service account of the SQL Server, execute the following query:
SELECT
servicename,
service_account
FROM sys.dm_server_services;
This query returns the service account for each SQL Server service running on the instance. Look for the row with the servicename column value set to “SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER)” or “SQL Server (InstanceName)”.
- Review the results:
The service_account column for the selected row displays the service account of the SQL Server.
Summary
In this blog post, we demonstrated two methods to easily identify the service account of a SQL Server. Either, by using SQL Server Configuration Manager or a T-SQL query. Knowing your SQL server’s service account is essential for managing security and permissions, as well as troubleshooting issues related to resource access.
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