In addition to storing database structure information, the system catalog generally stores the information required by the DBMS to enforce database security. As described in Chapter 15, various DBMS products offer different variations on the basic SQL privileges scheme. These variations are reflected in the structure of the system catalogs for the various DBMS brands.
DB2 has one of the most comprehensive schemes for user privileges, extending down to the individual columns of a table. Table 16-11 shows the DB2 system catalogs that store information about privileges and briefly describes the role of each one.
The authorization scheme used by SQL Server is more fundamental and streamlined than that of DB2. It treats databases, tables, stored procedures, triggers, and other entities uniformly as objects to which privileges apply. This streamlined structure is reflected in the system table, SYSPROTECTS, shown in Table 16-12, which implements the entire privileges scheme for SQL Server. Each row in the table represents a single GRANT or REVOKE statement that has been issued.
Source: Liang Y. Daniel (2013), Introduction to programming with SQL, Pearson; 3rd edition.