Need to monitor a user's commands

[SQLBill]

Background: I'm the DBA for a MS SQL 2000 Advance Server database. I'm new at this stuff, I took MS's class Administering a SQL Server 2000 database in December and will be attending the Programming class in February. I'm familiar with SQL since I had training as an Oracle programmer (just didn't get any experience since my company switched to MS SQL Server).

Problem: I had to provide administrator access to a user (It wasn't my choice, I was ordered to do it). This user is known to just do things without documenting or coordinating what he does. Is there a way that I can monitor his actions? I know DBCC INPUTBUFFER(spid) will give me the last TSQL command the user ran, but what about all the previous commands? I would like to be able to run something that will capture all of a selected user's commands and store them. If this person deletes any records or makes changes to the database, I need to know about it.

Does anyone do this type of monitoring? Does anyone know how it can be done?

All help is appreciated....

-Bill

 

[tlbroadbent]

You can use SQL Profiler or Trace to monitor and track SQL statements done by a specific user. See SQL BOL for usage details. There are also third party audit tools available. Terry L. Broadbent
Programming and Computing Resources

http://tlbroadbent.home.attbi.com/prog.htm

 

[SQLBill]

Thanks Terry,

I'll go back and reread the BOL on those two items to see if they can do what I need.

-Bill