Explain administration authority (EXPLAIN)

EXPLAIN authority is the authority required to explain query plans without gaining access to data for a specific database. This authority is a subset of the database administrator authority and has no inherent privilege to access data stored in tables.

EXPLAIN authority can be granted by the security administrator (who holds SECADM authority) or by a user who possesses ACCESSCTRL authority. The EXPLAIN authority can be granted to a user, a group, a role, or to PUBLIC. It gives the ability to execute the following SQL statements:
  • EXPLAIN
  • PREPARE
  • DESCRIBE on output of a SELECT statement or of an XQuery statement

EXPLAIN authority also provides EXECUTE privilege on the built-in explain routines.

EXPLAIN authority is a subset of the SQLADM authority.