In my previous article we discussed Change Tracking which is one of the new technologies introduced by Microsoft. This article will focus on Change Data Capture.   Read more...

In this article we will take a look at one of the new technology that was introduced in SQL Server 2008 for Auditing.   Read more...

Second part of two part article on Change Data Capture for field level auditing and marting that data using SSIS for reports. I uploaded the entire Word document that includes the images.  Read more...

A two part article on Change Data Capture for field level auditing and marting that data using SSIS for reports.   Read more...

As we continue in this series, see how auditing tables are used to track all changes that are made to the main data tables.  Read more...

Part 3 of the series on using MAP 5.0 looks at Software Usage Tracker audit mecanism, as well as migrating and uninstalling the MAP database.  Read more...

Part 2 of the series on using MAP 5.0 looks at using the toolkit to inventory servers, preparing audit reports and server virtualization planning.  Read more...

The first in this three part series on using Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit 5.0 introduces the toolkit and gets started with install and using it.  Read more...

I have been tasked with auditing security on my SQL Server. However, this needs to be a somewhat automated process as I don't want to have to rely on taking screenshots every month to satisfy our auditors. What tables and/or views should I be using and what's the best way to extract the information out of them?  Read more...

DDL triggers enable us to audit DDL changes but there are a few missing events, design decisions and installation complications.  Read more...

For this Friday poll, Steve Jones asks about your auditing requirements.  Read more...

Deanna Dicken examines a SQL Server Profiler event to determine object access...who is using the object, when, and how. This gives the SQL developer or database administrator much needed information for impact analysis prior to a change or the decommissioning of a SQL Server object.  Read more...

This article is the beginner's guide to Default Trace. The article outlines how to query the default trace for key trace events, with a focus on DDL history.  Read more...

I have been tasked with auditing security on my SQL Server. However, this needs to be a somewhat automated process as I don't want to have to rely on taking screenshots every month to satisfy our auditors. What tables and/or views should I be using and what's the best way to extract the information out of them?  Read more...

A bug reported on Connect has Steve Jones worried. This one could be a big deal in some situations that are concerned about comprehensive auditing.  Read more...

This article examines the various methods for retrieving data from an Audit table.   Read more...

Learn how to use the SQL Server 2008 catalog view and dynamic management view to access the audit details of existing server and database level audits.  Read more...

Auditing your SQL Server instances has become more of a concern these days. SQL Server 2008 introduced a new feature named SQL Server Audit. Enabling this feature can be done in just a few simple steps, but so could disabling this feature. And when it comes to audits, many times you are asked to provide proof that the audit itself has not been tampered with.  Read more...

We are inundated with new technologies and products designed to help make our organisations safe from hackers and other malcontents. One technology that has gained ground over the past few years is database activity monitoring. It makes sense to protect valuable databases, and by adding an intelligent monitor capable of sniffing out threats an additional level of protection can be gained. But what is database activity monitoring and why should you care?   Read more...

MAK shows us how easy it is to create a database level audit, test the audit and retrieve the audit records in Microsoft SQL Server 2008.  Read more...