Configure Trace Logging

By default, SQL Server stores trace logs in a predefined location (depending on the SQL Server version). For example, SQL Server 2019 error logs are located at <drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL13.<InstanceName>\MSSQL\Log.

You can change this default location using the pathstotracelogs.txt file.

To change trace log location:

Step 1 – On Netwrix Auditor server, go to <drive>:\Program Files\Netwrix Cloud Agent\SQL Server Auditing.

Step 2 – Locate the pathstotracelogs.txt file and open it for editing.

Step 3 – Specify the SQL Server instance that you need to audit and enter a UNC path to the folder where you want to store the trace logs. Syntax: SQLServer\Instance|UNC path. Each entry must be a separate line. Lines that start with the # sign are treated as comments and are ignored.

Example:

SQLSRV01\MSSQL2016|C:\Logs\1Secure trace logs\

To change trace logs location for multiple instances of one SQL server, ensure that the UNC paths are unique across these instances.

Correct:

SQLSRV01\MSSQL2014|C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\LOG\

SQLSRV01\MSSQL2019|C:\Logs\SQL trace logs\

Incorrect:

SQLSRV01\MSSQL2014|C:\Logs\SQL trace logs\

SQLSRV01\MSSQL2019|C:\Logs\SQL trace logs\