Can you explain how you assign the server logins to the windows AD accounts?

@KennethFisher: CREATE LOGIN login_name FROM WINDOWS. Am I missing something in your question; this seems too easy.

The OP is asking if he can attach a SQL Server Login to an AD login. It sounded like you were describing out to do that.

@KennethFisher: That's not the question I read: "I am wondering if there is any way to move from using SQL user accounts to AD credentials."

Fair point. I guess I read extra into it. So you are saying just create the new logins by and and assign them all of the existing permissions by hand?

@KennethFisher: Not quite - create new logins and map them to the existing database users by hand. (20 or 40 simple actions, depending on how you count.) The existing database users come with all their permissions intact.

Unfortunately you can't map an AD login to a SQL Server user. I tried and it returns an error. "Cannot remap a user of one type to a login of a different type." Wish it would though, would make life a lot easier.

@KennethFisher: Please clarify - there is no such thing as a SQL SERVER user, as users are atabase objects not server objets.

I'm here

Users are database object but still have a "type". If the type is "S" (SQL Server user) then it can only be mapped to a Server Principal of type S

I am just looking at Books Online for this

Here is the link for sys.database_principals msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187328.aspx

OK. Just found the relevant text: "Only SQL users and Windows users (or groups) can be remapped. The WITH LOGIN clause cannot be used to change the type of user, such as changing a Windows account to a SQL Server login. "

I never would have guessed.

Thanks for your patience Kenneth.

Yea, Initially I thought it would work too

No problems. I've done a LOT of reading on permissions. If you get a chance take a look at the SPs I wrote for them.

sqlstudies.com/free-scripts/sp_srvpermissions & sqlstudies.com/free-scripts/sp_dbpermissions