SQL Server connection for Active Directory users without creating explicit logins for each of them

Question

Users, who are part of an Active Directory domain (Windows Server 2008), need to be able to connect to a SQL Server 2008 R2 (it can be Express edition) with the "public" role rights.

Should I explicitly create a SQL Server login for each of these users, or the Active Directory provides other ways of granting access rights to the SQL Server for its users?

Answer 1

SQL Server has the ability to use Windows Authentication for granting access to resources on the database server, and this feature is turned on even if you decide to use SQL Authentication.

You do not need to create an explicit SQL Server login for each user unless your application requires it.

For managing user access using Windows Authentication and Active Directory, you can create an Active Directory Security Group, add it to the database, and grant the public role to that group.