Which users are able to start and stop a distributed SAP HANA Database System?

The ROOT user is the correct choice for starting and stopping a distributed SAP HANA Database System because this account has the highest level of privileges required to manage system processes and resources. The ROOT user operates at the operating system level, giving it the authority to control services, including those related to database management. This user's permissions extend across all services and can execute commands related to the SAP HANA Database System, which includes managing its running state.

Other user types typically possess limited privileges. While the ADMIN and SYSTEM users can perform various administrative tasks within the SAP HANA environment, they do not inherently have the same level of system-level access as the ROOT user. A POWER user may have significant permissions configured for their role, but again, those permissions do not necessarily extend to controlling the underlying operating system processes in the same way that the ROOT account does. This distinction is crucial when it comes to managing the lifecycle of a distributed database system.