Techniques for common users and roles, and commonly-granted privileges and roles are described. In one approach, the DBMS of a container database allows for the creation of common roles and common users that are shared across the container database. Thus, when a common role or a common user is established, the common role or common user is propagated to each database of the container database. In another approach, the DBMS of a container database allows privileges and roles to be granted commonly or locally. When a privilege or role is granted commonly, the privilege applies in each of the databases of a container database. When a privilege or role is granted locally, the privilege applies only in the database to which the grantor of the privilege or role established a connection.