SQL Server Audit Trace 20220428040708

SQL Server is a popular relational database management system (RDBMS) developed by Microsoft. It is widely used for storing and managing large amounts of data. One of the essential features of SQL Server is auditing, which allows you to track and monitor database activities. In this article, we will explore the concept of auditing in SQL Server and demonstrate how to set up and use the SQL Server Audit Trace feature.

What is SQL Server Audit Trace?

SQL Server Audit Trace is a built-in auditing feature in SQL Server that allows you to capture and record database events. These events can include database logins, query executions, data modifications, and more. The audit trail provides an important security and compliance mechanism, allowing you to track who accessed the database, what actions they performed, and when these actions occurred.

Setting up SQL Server Audit Trace

To set up SQL Server Audit Trace, you need to perform the following steps:

  1. Create an Audit: The first step is to create an audit object that defines the scope and destination of the audit trail. You can use the following T-SQL code to create an audit:
USE master;
GO

CREATE SERVER AUDIT MyAudit
TO FILE (
    FILEPATH = 'C:\AuditLogs\',
    MAXSIZE = 100 MB,
    MAX_ROLLOVER_FILES = 5,
    RESERVE_DISK_SPACE = OFF
);
GO

In the above example, we create an audit called "MyAudit" and specify the file path where the audit trail will be stored. We also set the maximum size of each audit file, the maximum number of rollover files, and whether to reserve disk space for the audit trail.

  1. Enable the Audit: After creating the audit, we need to enable it to start capturing database events. The following T-SQL code enables the audit:
ALTER SERVER AUDIT MyAudit
WITH (STATE = ON);
GO
  1. Create a Database Audit Specification: Next, we create a database audit specification that defines the events we want to capture for a specific database. The following T-SQL code creates a database audit specification:
USE AdventureWorks;
GO

CREATE DATABASE AUDIT SPECIFICATION MyDBAuditSpec
FOR SERVER AUDIT MyAudit
ADD (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE ON dbo.MyTable BY dbo);
GO

In the above example, we create a database audit specification called "MyDBAuditSpec" for the AdventureWorks database. We specify that we want to capture select, insert, update, and delete operations on the "MyTable" table by the "dbo" user.

  1. Enable the Database Audit Specification: Finally, we enable the database audit specification to start capturing the specified events. The following T-SQL code enables the database audit specification:
ALTER DATABASE AUDIT SPECIFICATION MyDBAuditSpec
WITH (STATE = ON);
GO

Querying the Audit Trail

Once the SQL Server Audit Trace is set up and enabled, it will start capturing the specified events. You can query the audit trail to retrieve information about the events using the built-in functions and views provided by SQL Server. For example, you can use the sys.fn_get_audit_file function to retrieve audit trail records from the file system. The following T-SQL code demonstrates how to query the audit trail:

SELECT *
FROM sys.fn_get_audit_file('C:\AuditLogs\MyAudit*', DEFAULT, DEFAULT);

In the above example, we use the sys.fn_get_audit_file function to retrieve all the audit trail records from the audit file(s) located in the specified directory.

Visualizing Audit Data

To visualize the audit data, we can use various tools and techniques. One popular option is to generate a pie chart to represent the distribution of different types of events captured in the audit trail. Here is an example of how to create a pie chart using markdown and the Mermaid syntax:

pie
"SELECT" : 40
"INSERT" : 30
"UPDATE" : 20
"DELETE" : 10

The above code snippet generates a pie chart showing the distribution of different types of events (e.g., SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) captured in the audit trail. The percentages displayed in the chart represent the relative frequency of each event type.

Conclusion

SQL Server Audit Trace is a powerful feature that enables you to capture and record database events for security and compliance purposes. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can set up and enable SQL Server Audit Trace to start capturing and monitoring database activities. Additionally, you can use the built-in functions and views provided by SQL Server to query the audit trail and retrieve information about the captured events. Visualizing the audit data can be done using various tools and techniques, such as generating a pie chart to represent the distribution of different event types. With SQL Server Audit Trace, you can ensure the security and integrity of your database and comply with regulatory requirements.

Remember to regularly review and analyze the audit trail to identify any suspicious activities and take appropriate actions to safeguard your data.