Cloud Database

Azure SQL Connector

Connect DB Audit to Azure SQL Database for comprehensive query monitoring, Azure AD authentication tracking, and compliance reporting with native Query Store integration.

Native Deep Integration

Query Store Native

Built-in query performance tracking

Azure AD Support

MFA and Managed Identity auth

<1% Performance Impact

Read-only system view queries

What You Can Monitor

Query Monitoring

Track every T-SQL query with full query text, execution stats, and query store integration.

Authentication Tracking

Monitor Azure AD and SQL logins, MFA events, and conditional access policy enforcement.

Schema Change Detection

Detect and alert on DDL operations, permission changes, and security configuration modifications.

Threat Detection

Integrate with Azure Defender for SQL to correlate security alerts with audit events.

Requirements

Azure SQL VersionAzure SQL Database or Managed Instance

Network AccessTCP port 1433 (or redirect mode)

AuthenticationSQL Auth, Azure AD, or Managed Identity

Required PermissionsVIEW DATABASE STATE, SELECT on sys views

Configuration Reference

Basic Connection

Field	Type	Required	Description
`name`	string	Yes	A unique name to identify this connection
`server`	string	Yes	Azure SQL server name (e.g., server.database.windows.net)
`port`	number	Yes	Azure SQL port
`database`	string	Yes	Database name to connect to
`username`	string	No	SQL username (for SQL auth)
`password`	password	No	SQL password (stored encrypted)

Azure AD Authentication

Field	Type	Default	Description
`auth_type`	select	`sql`	Authentication type
`tenant_id`	string	`-`	Azure AD tenant ID (for Azure AD auth)
`client_id`	string	`-`	Application (client) ID (for service principal auth)
`client_secret`	password	`-`	Client secret (stored encrypted)

Log Collection

Field	Type	Default	Description
`log_collection_type`	select	`native_audit`	Method for collecting audit logs
`polling_interval`	number	`60`	Seconds between log collection polls
`use_query_store`	boolean	`true`	Use Query Store for query history

Log Collection Methods

DB Audit supports multiple methods for collecting audit data from Azure SQL Database.

SQL Audit & Extended Events

Recommended

Query sys.fn_get_audit_file and Extended Events for comprehensive audit data.

Database-level auditing

Query Store integration

No external dependencies

All editions

Azure Monitor Diagnostic Logs

Collect audit events from Azure Monitor diagnostic settings for centralized logging.

Centralized logging

Long-term retention

Cross-resource queries

Log Analytics integration

Create Audit User

Create a dedicated read-only user with access to Query Store and system views.

-- Create a dedicated audit user in Azure SQL Database
-- Connect as admin

-- Option 1: SQL Authentication
CREATE LOGIN dbaudit_reader WITH PASSWORD = 'your_secure_password';
CREATE USER dbaudit_reader FOR LOGIN dbaudit_reader;

-- Grant minimum required permissions
GRANT VIEW DATABASE STATE TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.dm_exec_query_stats TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.dm_exec_sql_text TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.query_store_query TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.query_store_query_text TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.query_store_plan TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT SELECT ON sys.query_store_runtime_stats TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT VIEW ANY COLUMN MASTER KEY DEFINITION TO dbaudit_reader;
GRANT VIEW ANY COLUMN ENCRYPTION KEY DEFINITION TO dbaudit_reader;

-- For audit log access (if using SQL Audit)
GRANT CONTROL SERVER TO dbaudit_reader;  -- Or specific audit permissions

-- Option 2: Azure AD Authentication (recommended)
-- Create user from Azure AD
CREATE USER [dbaudit-app@yourdomain.com] FROM EXTERNAL PROVIDER;
-- Or service principal:
CREATE USER [dbaudit-service-principal] FROM EXTERNAL PROVIDER;

-- Grant same permissions as above
GRANT VIEW DATABASE STATE TO [dbaudit-app@yourdomain.com];
-- ... (repeat other grants)

Enable Query Store & Auditing

Enable Query Store and configure auditing for comprehensive query tracking.

-- Enable SQL Audit in Azure Portal or via T-SQL
-- This configures database-level auditing to Azure Blob Storage

-- Via Azure Portal:
-- 1. Navigate to your SQL Server/Database
-- 2. Security > Auditing
-- 3. Enable auditing and configure storage account

-- Via T-SQL (Server-level audit specification)
-- Note: Azure SQL Database uses Azure Auditing, not traditional SQL Audit

-- Enable Extended Events for detailed query tracking
CREATE EVENT SESSION [DBaudit_QueryTracking] ON DATABASE
ADD EVENT sqlserver.sql_statement_completed(
    ACTION(sqlserver.database_name, sqlserver.username, sqlserver.client_app_name,
           sqlserver.client_hostname, sqlserver.sql_text)
    WHERE sqlserver.database_name = 'your_database'
),
ADD EVENT sqlserver.login(
    ACTION(sqlserver.client_app_name, sqlserver.client_hostname)
),
ADD EVENT sqlserver.logout(
    ACTION(sqlserver.client_app_name, sqlserver.client_hostname)
)
ADD TARGET package0.ring_buffer(SET max_memory=4096)
WITH (STARTUP_STATE=ON);

ALTER EVENT SESSION [DBaudit_QueryTracking] ON DATABASE STATE = START;

-- Enable Query Store (recommended)
ALTER DATABASE [your_database] SET QUERY_STORE = ON;
ALTER DATABASE [your_database] SET QUERY_STORE (
    OPERATION_MODE = READ_WRITE,
    DATA_FLUSH_INTERVAL_SECONDS = 900,
    INTERVAL_LENGTH_MINUTES = 60,
    MAX_STORAGE_SIZE_MB = 1000
);

Configure DB Audit Collector

Add your Azure SQL Database to the DB Audit configuration.

databases:
  - name: production-azure-sql
    type: azure_sql
    server: your-server.database.windows.net
    port: 1433
    database: your_database

    # Authentication (choose one)
    # Option 1: SQL Authentication
    auth_type: sql
    username: dbaudit_reader
    password: ${AZURE_SQL_PASSWORD}

    # Option 2: Azure AD Service Principal
    # auth_type: azure_ad
    # tenant_id: your-tenant-id
    # client_id: your-app-client-id
    # client_secret: ${AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET}

    # Option 3: Managed Identity (when running in Azure)
    # auth_type: managed_identity
    # client_id: managed-identity-client-id  # optional, for user-assigned MI

    # Connection settings
    connection:
      encrypt: true
      trust_server_certificate: false
      connect_timeout: 30

    # Monitoring options
    options:
      track_queries: true
      track_connections: true
      track_ddl: true
      use_query_store: true
      polling_interval: 60

Test Connection

Verify your configuration before deploying.

# Test connection with sqlcmd
sqlcmd -S your-server.database.windows.net -d your_database \
  -U dbaudit_reader -P 'your_password' \
  -Q "SELECT @@VERSION;"

# Test with Azure AD authentication
sqlcmd -S your-server.database.windows.net -d your_database \
  -G -U your-azure-ad-user@domain.com \
  -Q "SELECT @@VERSION;"

# Test Query Store access
sqlcmd -S your-server.database.windows.net -d your_database \
  -U dbaudit_reader -P 'your_password' \
  -Q "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM sys.query_store_query;"

# Verify DB Audit collector can connect
dbaudit-collector test-connections --config /etc/dbaudit/config.yaml

Compliance Support

DB Audit's Azure SQL connector helps you meet audit requirements for major compliance frameworks.

SOC 2

Access logging

HIPAA

PHI access audit

PCI DSS

Cardholder data

GDPR

Data access rights

Troubleshooting

Connection timeout

Check that your IP is in the Azure SQL firewall rules. Verify the server name includes .database.windows.net.

Azure AD authentication failed

Verify the Azure AD admin is configured for the server. Check tenant ID and client ID are correct.

Query Store not returning data

Ensure Query Store is enabled: ALTER DATABASE [db] SET QUERY_STORE = ON;. Data may take a few minutes to populate.

Next Steps

Configure Alerts & Rules

View All Database Connectors

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