View a SQL Server Audit Log
Applies to: 
SQL Server
This topic describes how to view a SQL Server audit log in SQL Server by using SQL Server Management Studio.
In This Topic
Before you begin:
To view a SQL Server audit log, using:
Before You Begin
Security
Permissions
Requires the CONTROL SERVER permission.
Using SQL Server Management Studio
To view a SQL Server audit log
In Object Explorer, expand the Security folder.
Expand the Audits folder.
Right-click the audit log that you want to view and select View Audit Logs. This opens the Log File Viewer -server_name dialog box. For more information, see Log File Viewer F1 Help.
When finished, click Close.
Microsoft recommends viewing the audit log by using the Log File Viewer. However, if you are creating an automated monitoring system, the information in the audit file can be read directly by using the sys.fn_get_audit_file (Transact-SQL) function. Reading the file directly returns data in a slightly different (unprocessed) format. See sys.fn_get_audit_file for more information.
See Also
SQL Server Audit (Database Engine)
Write SQL Server Audit Events to the Security Log
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