Azure SQL Database Auditing helps track database events and activities, and it's a valuable tool for maintaining data integrity, security, and compliance. Here's a step-by-step guide on configuring Azure SQL Database Auditing:
1. Azure Portal:
Log in to the Azure Portal (https://portal.azure.com/).
2. Select Your Database:
Navigate to the SQL databases section and select your database.
3. Auditing Settings:
Under the "Security" section in the database's settings menu, click on "Auditing".
4. Enable Auditing:
Toggle the "Auditing" option to "On".
5. Target:
Choose where you want the audit logs to be stored:
- Storage Account: Select an Azure Storage account to store the audit logs. You'll also have to specify the retention period (in days) for how long the logs should be kept.
- Log Analytics: This allows integration with Azure Monitor logs.
- Event Hub: Stream the audit logs to Azure Event Hub.
6. Advanced Settings (Optional):
Under advanced settings, you can set:
- Audit Type: By default, it's set to "By database." However, if you want the settings to apply server-wide, select "By server."
- Filtering: Define filters to capture only specific events.
- Database users: Decide which users' actions should be audited.
7. Select Audited Activities:
Choose which activities and actions you want to be audited, such as data updates, schema changes, or logins.
8. Save Configuration:
Once you've made your desired configurations, click the "Save" button.
9. Review Logs:
After enabling auditing, you can access the logs in your chosen target (Storage Account, Log Analytics, or Event Hub) to monitor activities.
10. Azure SQL Audit Logs in Azure Monitor (Optional):
If you want to analyze the logs using tools like Power BI or Azure Monitor, you can integrate Azure SQL Auditing with Azure Monitor Diagnostics.
