sql 2008, select from a view as a different user, like owner

Question

In sql server 2008, the system views sys.database_role_members and sys.database_principals, only returns the users and group that the current account is allowed to view.

I need to check id a certain account exists, so I need to see all the existing sql account accounts, regardless the permissions of the current account, I mean, just like it used to be in previous versions.

Is there some option like 'EXECUTE AS OWNER' but for views?

Something like

create view dbo.vUsers select as owner as

select * from sys.database_principals

Answer 1

Use a table valued function instead?

It has to be a multistatement function though.
In-line UDFS don't allow EXECUTE AS (I guess because they are simply macros like views)

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.vUsers ()
RETURNS @dbprincipals TABLE (
    name sysname NOT NULL,
    type char(1) NOT NULL
    )
WITH EXECUTE AS OWNER
AS
BEGIN
    INSERT @dbprincipals
    SELECT name, type FROM sys.database_principals;

    RETURN;
END
GO

Answer 2

The more transparent solution I can think so far is to create a couple of tables like sys_database_principals and sys_database_roles,

update the view to point at them

and then define a stored procedure, that will be executed as owner no matter the currently logged account, and woul fill the tables like this

create procedure dbo.tmp_fill with execute as owner as
begin

    if exists( select * from sysobjects where type = 'U' and name = 'sys_database_role_members' )
        drop table dbo.sys_database_role_members
    select * into sys_database_role_members from sys.database_role_members

    if exists( select * from sysobjects where type = 'U' and name = 'sys_database_principals' )
        drop table dbo.sys_database_principals
    select * into sys_database_principals from sys.database_principals

end