Why use master to create a database?

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I have a short question, why do I use use master; to create a database?
Here is the example from the Microsoft documentation

USE master ;
GO
CREATE DATABASE Sales
ON
( NAME = Sales_dat,
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...saledat.mdf',
 SIZE = 10,
 MAXSIZE = 50,
 FILEGROWTH = 5 )
LOG ON
( NAME = Sales_log, 
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...salelog.ldf',
 SIZE = 5MB,
 MAXSIZE = 25MB,
 FILEGROWTH = 5MB ) ;

sql-server t-sql ddl master-system-database

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edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

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up vote
10
down vote

favorite

1

I have a short question, why do I use use master; to create a database?
Here is the example from the Microsoft documentation

USE master ;
GO
CREATE DATABASE Sales
ON
( NAME = Sales_dat,
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...saledat.mdf',
 SIZE = 10,
 MAXSIZE = 50,
 FILEGROWTH = 5 )
LOG ON
( NAME = Sales_log, 
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...salelog.ldf',
 SIZE = 5MB,
 MAXSIZE = 25MB,
 FILEGROWTH = 5MB ) ;

sql-server t-sql ddl master-system-database

share|improve this question

edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

47.7k14257407

asked yesterday

S Nell

534

New contributor

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

up vote
10
down vote

favorite

1

up vote
10
down vote

favorite

1

1

I have a short question, why do I use use master; to create a database?
Here is the example from the Microsoft documentation

USE master ;
GO
CREATE DATABASE Sales
ON
( NAME = Sales_dat,
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...saledat.mdf',
 SIZE = 10,
 MAXSIZE = 50,
 FILEGROWTH = 5 )
LOG ON
( NAME = Sales_log, 
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...salelog.ldf',
 SIZE = 5MB,
 MAXSIZE = 25MB,
 FILEGROWTH = 5MB ) ;

sql-server t-sql ddl master-system-database

share|improve this question

edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

47.7k14257407

asked yesterday

S Nell

534

New contributor

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

I have a short question, why do I use use master; to create a database?
Here is the example from the Microsoft documentation

USE master ;
GO
CREATE DATABASE Sales
ON
( NAME = Sales_dat,
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...saledat.mdf',
 SIZE = 10,
 MAXSIZE = 50,
 FILEGROWTH = 5 )
LOG ON
( NAME = Sales_log, 
 FILENAME = 'C:Program Files...salelog.ldf',
 SIZE = 5MB,
 MAXSIZE = 25MB,
 FILEGROWTH = 5MB ) ;

sql-server t-sql ddl master-system-database

sql-server t-sql ddl master-system-database

share|improve this question

edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

47.7k14257407

asked yesterday

S Nell

534

New contributor

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

47.7k14257407

asked yesterday

S Nell

534

New contributor

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

47.7k14257407

edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

47.7k14257407

edited 30 mins ago

Paul White♦

47.7k14257407

47.7k14257407

asked yesterday

S Nell

534

New contributor

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked yesterday

S Nell

534

asked yesterday

S Nell

534

534

New contributor

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

New contributor

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

S Nell is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

4 Answers
4

active

oldest

votes

up vote
12
down vote



accepted

I believe it's not a requirement that you should use the master database to create a database. Since the create database command should be run in a database context the documentation always uses a default database which is master and it's a system database which will be always there no matter what so the script doesn't fail!

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

add a comment | 

up vote
16
down vote

It is absolutely not a requirement in this very specific case, but it is a requirement in many other scenarios. If you're creating a database called Sales, and you arelady have a database called Sales, you'll need to change your database context before you:

• Restore with replace; or,


• Drop the current database and then:
  
  
  • Create from scratch; or,
  
  
  • Create for attach.
  
  

There are plenty of other scenarios outside of database creation that also require either (a) not being in the context of the current database, or (b) being in the context of master specifically (or at least not a specific database), and many of these things you may be doing during or around creating databases:

• Setting a database to a different state, like single_user
  


• Preventing errors when a script has a USE command but that user database may be offline or otherwise inaccessible


• Granting server-level permissions like CREATE DATABASE
  


• Granting server-level role membership


• Marking a module as a system object (sp_MS_marksystemobject) or as a startup procedure


• Certain types of certificate, server audit, and Availability Group operations

Probably a slew of other things. USE master; isn't always necessary, but sometimes it is, and it doesn't hurt to always execute server-level commands from that database.

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @aron Bertrand +1 for the specific cases. I have never gone this deep when to use master , the only instance is setting the database to single user mode :)
  – Biju jose
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

I believe that we, a very very long time ago, had to be in master when executing the CREATE DATABASE command. I'm too lazy to fire up some 20 years old version to verify. So probably a combination of that and that it "feels natural" to be in master. Like if you are to create a folder (imagine there are just one level of folders), you probably feel "better" to say CD first (comparing the root here with master database).

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

The master database contains all of the system level information for SQL Server – all of the logins, linked servers, endpoints, and other system-wide configuration settings. The master database is also where SQL Server stores information about the other databases on this instance and the location of their files. If the master database is not present, SQL Server cannot start.

share|improve this answer

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

add a comment | 

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4 Answers
4

active

oldest

votes

4 Answers
4

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
12
down vote



accepted

I believe it's not a requirement that you should use the master database to create a database. Since the create database command should be run in a database context the documentation always uses a default database which is master and it's a system database which will be always there no matter what so the script doesn't fail!

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

add a comment | 

up vote
12
down vote



accepted

I believe it's not a requirement that you should use the master database to create a database. Since the create database command should be run in a database context the documentation always uses a default database which is master and it's a system database which will be always there no matter what so the script doesn't fail!

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

add a comment | 

up vote
12
down vote



accepted

up vote
12
down vote



accepted

I believe it's not a requirement that you should use the master database to create a database. Since the create database command should be run in a database context the documentation always uses a default database which is master and it's a system database which will be always there no matter what so the script doesn't fail!

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

I believe it's not a requirement that you should use the master database to create a database. Since the create database command should be run in a database context the documentation always uses a default database which is master and it's a system database which will be always there no matter what so the script doesn't fail!

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

answered yesterday

Biju jose

866821

866821

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
16
down vote

It is absolutely not a requirement in this very specific case, but it is a requirement in many other scenarios. If you're creating a database called Sales, and you arelady have a database called Sales, you'll need to change your database context before you:

• Restore with replace; or,


• Drop the current database and then:
  
  
  • Create from scratch; or,
  
  
  • Create for attach.
  
  

There are plenty of other scenarios outside of database creation that also require either (a) not being in the context of the current database, or (b) being in the context of master specifically (or at least not a specific database), and many of these things you may be doing during or around creating databases:

• Setting a database to a different state, like single_user
  


• Preventing errors when a script has a USE command but that user database may be offline or otherwise inaccessible


• Granting server-level permissions like CREATE DATABASE
  


• Granting server-level role membership


• Marking a module as a system object (sp_MS_marksystemobject) or as a startup procedure


• Certain types of certificate, server audit, and Availability Group operations

Probably a slew of other things. USE master; isn't always necessary, but sometimes it is, and it doesn't hurt to always execute server-level commands from that database.

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @aron Bertrand +1 for the specific cases. I have never gone this deep when to use master , the only instance is setting the database to single user mode :)
  – Biju jose
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
16
down vote

It is absolutely not a requirement in this very specific case, but it is a requirement in many other scenarios. If you're creating a database called Sales, and you arelady have a database called Sales, you'll need to change your database context before you:

• Restore with replace; or,


• Drop the current database and then:
  
  
  • Create from scratch; or,
  
  
  • Create for attach.
  
  

There are plenty of other scenarios outside of database creation that also require either (a) not being in the context of the current database, or (b) being in the context of master specifically (or at least not a specific database), and many of these things you may be doing during or around creating databases:

• Setting a database to a different state, like single_user
  


• Preventing errors when a script has a USE command but that user database may be offline or otherwise inaccessible


• Granting server-level permissions like CREATE DATABASE
  


• Granting server-level role membership


• Marking a module as a system object (sp_MS_marksystemobject) or as a startup procedure


• Certain types of certificate, server audit, and Availability Group operations

Probably a slew of other things. USE master; isn't always necessary, but sometimes it is, and it doesn't hurt to always execute server-level commands from that database.

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @aron Bertrand +1 for the specific cases. I have never gone this deep when to use master , the only instance is setting the database to single user mode :)
  – Biju jose
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
16
down vote

up vote
16
down vote

It is absolutely not a requirement in this very specific case, but it is a requirement in many other scenarios. If you're creating a database called Sales, and you arelady have a database called Sales, you'll need to change your database context before you:

• Restore with replace; or,


• Drop the current database and then:
  
  
  • Create from scratch; or,
  
  
  • Create for attach.
  
  

There are plenty of other scenarios outside of database creation that also require either (a) not being in the context of the current database, or (b) being in the context of master specifically (or at least not a specific database), and many of these things you may be doing during or around creating databases:

• Setting a database to a different state, like single_user
  


• Preventing errors when a script has a USE command but that user database may be offline or otherwise inaccessible


• Granting server-level permissions like CREATE DATABASE
  


• Granting server-level role membership


• Marking a module as a system object (sp_MS_marksystemobject) or as a startup procedure


• Certain types of certificate, server audit, and Availability Group operations

Probably a slew of other things. USE master; isn't always necessary, but sometimes it is, and it doesn't hurt to always execute server-level commands from that database.

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

It is absolutely not a requirement in this very specific case, but it is a requirement in many other scenarios. If you're creating a database called Sales, and you arelady have a database called Sales, you'll need to change your database context before you:

• Restore with replace; or,


• Drop the current database and then:
  
  
  • Create from scratch; or,
  
  
  • Create for attach.
  
  

There are plenty of other scenarios outside of database creation that also require either (a) not being in the context of the current database, or (b) being in the context of master specifically (or at least not a specific database), and many of these things you may be doing during or around creating databases:

• Setting a database to a different state, like single_user
  


• Preventing errors when a script has a USE command but that user database may be offline or otherwise inaccessible


• Granting server-level permissions like CREATE DATABASE
  


• Granting server-level role membership


• Marking a module as a system object (sp_MS_marksystemobject) or as a startup procedure


• Certain types of certificate, server audit, and Availability Group operations

Probably a slew of other things. USE master; isn't always necessary, but sometimes it is, and it doesn't hurt to always execute server-level commands from that database.

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

answered 23 hours ago

Aaron Bertrand♦

147k19280475

147k19280475

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @aron Bertrand +1 for the specific cases. I have never gone this deep when to use master , the only instance is setting the database to single user mode :)
  – Biju jose
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @aron Bertrand +1 for the specific cases. I have never gone this deep when to use master , the only instance is setting the database to single user mode :)
  – Biju jose
  10 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

1

1

@aron Bertrand +1 for the specific cases. I have never gone this deep when to use master , the only instance is setting the database to single user mode :)
– Biju jose
10 hours ago

@aron Bertrand +1 for the specific cases. I have never gone this deep when to use master , the only instance is setting the database to single user mode :)
– Biju jose
10 hours ago

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

I believe that we, a very very long time ago, had to be in master when executing the CREATE DATABASE command. I'm too lazy to fire up some 20 years old version to verify. So probably a combination of that and that it "feels natural" to be in master. Like if you are to create a folder (imagine there are just one level of folders), you probably feel "better" to say CD first (comparing the root here with master database).

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

I believe that we, a very very long time ago, had to be in master when executing the CREATE DATABASE command. I'm too lazy to fire up some 20 years old version to verify. So probably a combination of that and that it "feels natural" to be in master. Like if you are to create a folder (imagine there are just one level of folders), you probably feel "better" to say CD first (comparing the root here with master database).

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

add a comment | 

up vote
2
down vote

up vote
2
down vote

I believe that we, a very very long time ago, had to be in master when executing the CREATE DATABASE command. I'm too lazy to fire up some 20 years old version to verify. So probably a combination of that and that it "feels natural" to be in master. Like if you are to create a folder (imagine there are just one level of folders), you probably feel "better" to say CD first (comparing the root here with master database).

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

I believe that we, a very very long time ago, had to be in master when executing the CREATE DATABASE command. I'm too lazy to fire up some 20 years old version to verify. So probably a combination of that and that it "feels natural" to be in master. Like if you are to create a folder (imagine there are just one level of folders), you probably feel "better" to say CD first (comparing the root here with master database).

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

answered 23 hours ago

Tibor Karaszi

1,1415

1,1415

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

The master database contains all of the system level information for SQL Server – all of the logins, linked servers, endpoints, and other system-wide configuration settings. The master database is also where SQL Server stores information about the other databases on this instance and the location of their files. If the master database is not present, SQL Server cannot start.

share|improve this answer

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

The master database contains all of the system level information for SQL Server – all of the logins, linked servers, endpoints, and other system-wide configuration settings. The master database is also where SQL Server stores information about the other databases on this instance and the location of their files. If the master database is not present, SQL Server cannot start.

share|improve this answer

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

The master database contains all of the system level information for SQL Server – all of the logins, linked servers, endpoints, and other system-wide configuration settings. The master database is also where SQL Server stores information about the other databases on this instance and the location of their files. If the master database is not present, SQL Server cannot start.

share|improve this answer

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

The master database contains all of the system level information for SQL Server – all of the logins, linked servers, endpoints, and other system-wide configuration settings. The master database is also where SQL Server stores information about the other databases on this instance and the location of their files. If the master database is not present, SQL Server cannot start.

share|improve this answer

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

answered 21 hours ago

Md Haidar Ali Khan

3,33052240

3,33052240

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

S Nell is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.

 

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