How temporal table enable historical data tracking and auditing in SQL Server?
How temporal table enable historical data tracking and auditing in SQL Server?
9518-Oct-2023
Updated on 19-Oct-2023
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How temporal table enable historical data tracking and auditing in SQL Server?
Aryan Kumar
19-Oct-2023Enabling historical data tracking and auditing in SQL Server is made possible through the use of temporal tables. Temporal tables allow you to keep track of historical data changes in a structured and efficient manner. Here's how to enable them:
1. Create a Temporal Table:
To enable historical data tracking, you first need to create a temporal table. A temporal table consists of two parts: the current table and the history table.
2. Enable System-Versioning:
To track historical data, you need to enable system-versioning on your temporal table.
3. Insert Data:
Now, as you insert, update, and delete records in the main table, SQL Server will automatically manage the historical data in the history table. It keeps track of when records were valid.
Insert a New Record:
Update Record:
Delete a Record:
4. Query Historical Data:
To retrieve historical data, you can use standard SQL queries. For example, to query the historical data for a specific record, use the FOR SYSTEM_TIME clause:
This will return the state of the record as it existed at the specified point in time.
Temporal tables provide an excellent way to track historical data and enable auditing because they automatically manage historical versions of your data. This can be very useful for compliance, auditing, and historical analysis purposes.