How to get the currently logged in user in C# with MSSQL database

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Hi everyone! I have a situation here. I need to be able to identify who connects to the software with an underlying MSSQL server. so i can track who is logged into the software on a per username basis.

What I have tried:

so I used the codes:

System.Security.Principal.WindowsIdentity.GetCurrent().Name

but this returned the username of the database user not thre name of the user logged into the software.
Next I tried:

Environment.UserName

but this picks the username of the user logged into the operating system.

The idea is that when the software is started, a user has to login. I need to be able to get this user's username and perhaps loggin and loggout timestamps.

for the timestamps i use

GetTimestamp(DateTime.Now)

Posted 31-Jan-17 2:01am

Nganku Junior

Updated 31-Jan-17 4:33am

CHill60

v2

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[no name] 31-Jan-17 8:11am

"a user has to login", if your software is started, you already know this information. So what is the question again?

Dave Kreskowiak 31-Jan-17 8:43am

Your question doesn't make much sense. Is this C# code being written in an SQL Server user defined function or stored procedure or trigger or is it only in the application code?

Typically, you use a dedicated user account to access a database, not the user account running the application on the workstation. In this case, to SQL Server, every database access is from the exact same "person".

Nganku Junior 31-Jan-17 8:53am

the question is how to get this information (username) even after login. So I can identify who did what and when

[no name] 31-Jan-17 9:06am

Perhaps the comments are unclear to you. The is no information to "get", by your own comments, you already know this information. Since you already know this information there is no reason to get it from anywhere. This is the reason your "question" doesn't make any sense.

Nganku Junior 31-Jan-17 8:56am

I have created a database for the software to store information in it. User accounts have also been created and stored in some table in the database associated to the software.so these user accounts are the only ones able to authenticate against the login procedure and then access the software. I wish to know how to keep track of who logged in when and perhaps passed what transaction...

2 solutions

Solution 3

This will give you the current database user's name. If you're using windows login, it will be the name of the current windows user. If you're using database login, it will be the name of the db user that logged into the database.

SQL

SELECT CURRENT_USER;

Posted 31-Jan-17 4:33am

#realJSOP

Updated 31-Jan-17 4:43am

v3

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OriginalGriff · Accepted Answer · 2017-01-31T04:11:00

What the various comments are saying is that your C# code knows who is logged in - because it is in charge of the login process for that software.
SQL doesn't know "who is logged in" to a particular piece of software, or even to a particular PC because it is a Server based system - which means that the code which actually accesses the database and serves the data back to your application is normally on a different computer altogether (and does not even run as the "logged in user" for that system, it runs under a special user account created specifically for the MsSql application itself).

So when your app starts, log your user in and remember which user he was.
You can then pass that information to SQL either as a "log in"/"log out" timestamp, or a log user activity directly. But SQL can't do that, unless you create a separate user account in SQL for each user you log into your system - which is probably not a good idea in a system with many users!