Auditing in SQL server

Nowadays, some of developer are too much worried about data. Who is using data, who is updating it etc. etc. Because, data is more costlier in term of money and information. So security of data is focusing concern in days.

Lets' understand the Audit to know the usage of data and operation on data.

Please follow the steps below and make sure Audit is not available in Standard and Express edition of SQL Server.

Note: Server Audit Configuration will find at Server=> Security=>Audit
and
Database Audit Configuration will find at Server=> Database=> Security=> Database Audit Specification

1. Set the Proper Audit name and Select the Audit location type, (File, Security and Application Log etc.)
 

Based on the Audit type may you have question why audit is not at SQL Table level? A simple answer is when audit is enabled and change is recorded then again due to the insertion of that log cyclic insertion occur. that's why audit is not available to save in SQL table.

2. Audit Type is selected as File then select the folder path.

3. Same thing you can create for Server Audit Specification.
 
In this step you have predefined options provided by SQL and you can use any of that for your purpose.

i.e If you want to change the permission to data etc. Please make sure you can find the Server and Database level actions.

4. Create Audit Action on particular object (Database objects like Table, View etc.)
 
5. Select Option from Action drop down and before that Select the Audit source as shown in below image.

That's it for Configure the Server/Database Audit.

Let's see the result of Audit how can we see the result of audit. Who has viewed the data, updated data or deleted data etc. etc.

For, this SQL provide the Management function to read the Audit files and give result step by step.

SELECT
                      * FROM fn_get_audit_file(
                      'H:\PefLogs\Audit-FailedLogin_6A8681AA-5555-4EA9-AA18-D18A552E1ACF_0_129216903300500000.sqlaudit',
                      default
                      , default)
                      

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After executing this log you can get the result as below: