10.3. Monitoring Database Modifications

Like many people in the information technology field, I cut my teeth in desktop support, then moved on to network support, and finally settled in with SQL Server. I can't begin to count how many times I began a support conversation with, "Have you changed anything recently?" only to hear the canned response, "No, I haven't done anything. It just stopped working." I bet you can relate. As a database administrator, your audience has changed a bit, but when a database application suddenly quits working, I can almost guarantee that you will hear the same answer from database and application developers, "I didn't do anything, it just stopped working."

A very powerful new feature in SQL Server 2005 gives the DBA the ability to debunk that claim with solid audit evidence that, indeed, something was changed to break the database. This new feature is the ability to monitor and even prevent database modifications through the use of Data Definition Language (DDL) triggers and event notifications.