On June 2nd, I wrote a blog entry on the subject of honeycombing a database. In that entry, I discussed the concept of honeycombing and provided an option that could be executed for SQL Server 2000 or 2005 databases.

The challenge with SQL Server 2000 and 2005 databases is that there is not a great method in which to capture information about a SELECT event. Other DML events (UPDATE, INSERT and DELETE) could be captured with a trigger; but unfortunately SELECT was mysteriously missing as an event in which a trigger could respond. The option provided was admittedly a rigged solution that should be very carefully explored before implementing.

I also mentioned that I had not yet explored the features of SQL Server 2008 at that time to see if there was a solution. Since then, I spent some time with SQL Server 2008 RC(0) and performed some experiments with the new auditing feature.

When I first heard about the auditing feature of SQL Server 2008, my initial thought was positive but uncertain to its real value. Upon experimenting with concepts such as honeycombing the real value and beauty of the auditing feature was revealed. The auditing feature does indeed capture SELECT events among a multitude of others.

I do plan on writing a more detailed article on this subject in the very near future; but I thought that it would be valuable to point out that there is a solution forthcoming that will allow honeycombing to be successfully implemented into a SQL Server database.

On another brief note: For those who would like to experiment with SQL Server 2008 RC(0) or any other pre-release version of software, consider using Virtual PC. In my exploration of this pre-release version of SQL Server 2008, I downloaded a Windows 2003 Virtual Hard Drive (VHD) and loaded SQL Server 2008 RC(0) upon it. It works beautifully and it does not conflict or affect anything on my laptop! When I am done, I can simply delete the VHD. Now I wish I had installed all of my software in this manner.