User Identity on Remote Instance

A user's identity when working on a remote instance depends upon the type of access authorized.

• When access to a remote instance is authorized using an Installation Password, users retain their local identities (User IDs) when working on the remote instance.
• When access is authorized through a login account on the remote instance's host machine, users take on the identity (User ID) of this account when working on the remote instance.

In either case, the user's privileges and permissions on the remote instance can differ from those on the local instance. For example, a user can have system administrator privileges on the local instance but only very general, low-level privileges and permissions on the remote instance. It is important to make sure that the privileges and permissions assigned to you on the remote instance are adequate for the work that you intend to perform.

User privileges and permissions are set up individually for each instance using Visual DBA or create user statement. They apply only to the instance on which they are set up. For more information about this procedure, see the "Authorizing User Access" chapter in the Database Administrator Guide.

Note: Using Network Utility or Visual DBA, you can access a list of users on Ingres server nodes and establish a connection at the user level under a different user name. For more information, see Impersonating Another User in online help for either of these visual tools.

-u Command Flag—Impersonate User

You can use the -u command flag on a remote instance to impersonate another user provided your user ID on the remote instance has the SECURITY permission. (Typically, a system administrator has this privilege.)

This command flag has the following format:

-u user_ID

Is the user ID of the user you are impersonating.

Verify Your Identity

When impersonating a user using the -u command flag, you may need to verify your identity.

To verify your identity

Use the following command:

dbmsinfo ('username')

The user ID that you are working under is displayed.