9 Audit Vault Microsoft SQL Server (AVMSSQLDB) Utility Commands

Use the Audit Vault SQL Server Database (AVMSSQLDB) command-line utility to manage the relationship between Oracle Audit Vault and a Microsoft SQL Server source database and collector. When you run these commands, remember the following:

• Enter the command in lowercase letters. The commands are case-sensitive.

• When you open a new shell to run the command, first set the appropriate environment variables. See Section 2.2 for instructions.

• Oracle Audit Vault creates a log file of AVMSSQLDB command activity. See Section A.1 and Section A.2 for more information.

Table 9-1 describes the AVMSSQLDB commands and where each is used, whether on the Audit Vault Server, on the Audit Vault collection agent, or in both places.

Table 9-1 AVMSSQLDB Commands

Command	Where Used?	Description
add_collector	Server	Adds a collector to Oracle Audit Vault
add_source	Server	Registers an audit source with Oracle Audit Vault
alter_collector	Server	Alters the attributes of a collector
alter_source	Server	Alters the attributes of a source
drop_collector	Server	Drops a collector from Oracle Audit Vault
drop_source	Server	Drops a source from Oracle Audit Vault
-help	Both	Displays help information for the AVMSSQLDB commands
setup	Collection agent	Adds the source user credentials to the wallet, creates a database alias in the wallet for the source user, and verifies the connection to the source using the wallet
verify	Both	Verifies that the source is compatible with the collectors

9.1 avmssqldb

The AVMSSQLDB command-line utility, which you use to configure a Microsoft SQL Server database with Oracle Audit Vault.

Syntax

avmssqldb command -help

avmssqldb command [options] arguments

Arguments

Argument	Description
command	Enter one of the commands listed in Table 9-1.
arguments	Enter one or more of the AVMSSQLDB command arguments.
-help	Displays help information for the AVMSSQLDB commands.

Usage Notes

Issuing an AVMSSQLDB command generates the following log file: $ORACLE_HOME/av/log/mssqldb-%g.log. The %g is a generation number that starts from 0 (zero) and increases once the file size reaches the 100 MB limit.

9.2 add_collector

The avmssqldb add_collector command adds a collector for the given SQL Server source database to Oracle Audit Vault. Oracle Audit Vault verifies the source database for the collector requirements.

Where to Run This Command

Audit Vault Server

Syntax

avmssqldb add_collector -srcname srcname -agentname agentname
         [-collname collname] [-desc desc]

Arguments

Argument	Description
-srcname srcname	Enter the name of the source database for which the collector is to be added. Remember that the source database name is case-sensitive.
-agentname agentname	Create a name for the agent that will use the MSSQLDB collector.
-collname collname	Create a name for the MSSQLDB collector. Optional. If you do not create a name, Oracle Audit Vault names the collector MSSQLCollector.
-desc desc	Enter a brief description of the collector. Optional.

Usage Notes

• Run any collector-specific preparation scripts before you execute the avmssqldb add_collector command.

• The avmssqldb add_collector command prompts for the source user name and password. This user account must exist on the source database.

Example

The following example shows how to add the MSSQLDB collector to Oracle Audit Vault.

$ avmssqldb add_collector -srcname mssqldb4 -agentname agent1 
Enter a username :source_user_name
Enter a password : password

***** Collector Added Successfully*****

9.3 add_source

The avmssqldb add_source command registers a SQL Server source database with Oracle Audit Vault for audit data consolidation.

Where to Run This Command

Audit Vault Server

Syntax

avmssqldb add_source -src host:port|host\instance_name -srcname srcname  
[-desc desc] 

Arguments

Argument	Description
-src host:port|host\instance_name	Enter the source database connection information.Typically, the host is the fully qualified domain name or IP address of the server on which the SQL Server source database is running. The syntax you use depends on your configuration. Use the following syntax for single-instance configurations where the port number is different from 1433. Separate the host and port number with a colon. -src host:port Use the following syntax if the instance is not on the default port or does not have a default name. For configurations with multiple instances on one server, you must only use this syntax. Separate the host name and instance name with a backslash, and then enclose them single quotation marks. -src 'host\instance_name'
-srcname srcname	Create a name for the source database connection. Remember that the source database name is case-sensitive. Oracle Audit Vault uses this name to connect to the Microsoft SQL Server source database.
-desc desc	Enter a brief description for the source database. Optional.

Usage Notes

The avmssqldb add_source command prompts for the source user name and password. This user account must exist on the source database. See the example.

Example

The following example shows how to register a source with Oracle Audit Vault.

$ avmssqldb add_source -src mssqlserver\hr_db -srcname mssqldb4 -desc 'HR Database'
Enter a username :source_user_name
Enter a password : password

***** Source Verified *****
***** Source Added Successfully *****

9.4 alter_collector

The avmssqldb alter_collector command modifies the attributes of an MSSQLDB collector.

Where to Run This Command

Audit Vault Server

Syntax

avmssqldb alter_collector -srcname srcname -collname collname 
      [attrname=attrvalue...attrname=attrvalue]

Arguments

Argument	Description
-srcname srcname	Enter the name of the source database to which this collector belongs. Remember that the source database name is case-sensitive.
-collname collname	Enter the name of the collector to be modified.
attrname=attrvalue	Enter the attribute pair (attribute name, new attribute value) for mutable collector property and attributes for this collector type. This argument is optional. Separate multiple pairs by a space on the command line.

Usage Notes

• For SQL Server 2000 source databases only, the trace file (.trc) audit trail is not released to the collector until either the file reaches its maximum file size and another trace file is created, or the source database is shut down and restarted.

• You can specify the SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH or C2_TRACE_FILEPATH attributes in the following ways:

  • The value for the path can be of the form Drive:\Directory....\File Prefix.trc, enclosed in double quotation marks. For example:

    "c:\tracefiles\SQLAudit.trc"
    

  • Enter #DYNAMIC (but not enclosed in quotation marks) to enable the collector to query the SQL Server database to find the trace file paths. For example:

    ... SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH=#DYNAMIC
    

  • You can include the asterisk (*) wildcard character to select multiple files. For example:

    ... SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH="c:\SQLAuditFile*.trc"
    

    Be aware that if you include the asterisk (*) wildcard character in the file path, then the collector reads from all files that are affected by the wildcard. For example, if you enter c:\SQLAuditFile*.trc, then the collector reads from SQLAuditFile1.trc, SQLAuditFile2.trc, SQLAuditFile3.trc, and so on.

  • Specify the path by providing the complete file path name. For example:

    ... SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH="c:\SQLAuditFile1.trc
    

  • Specify the multiple trace file paths by separating each path with a semicolon (;). For example:

    ... SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH="c:\SQLAuditFile1.trc;SQLAuditFile2.trc; c:\tracefi*.trc"
    

• If the SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH attribute or the C2_TRACE_FILEPATH attribute is set to null, then the SQL Server collector does not retrieve audit data from the source database.

• If you want the collector to retrieve trace file paths by querying SQL Server database, set the SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH attribute or the C2_TRACE_FILEPATH attribute to #DYNAMIC. Do not enclose #DYNAMIC in quotation marks.

• If AUDIT_SERVERSIDE_TRACES_FLAG is not set, then collector does not check the value of SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH. In this case, no data is collected from the server side traces, even if the value of SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH is set. This behavior also applies to the AUDIT_C2_FLAG and C2_TRACE_FILEPATH settings, which control record collection from C2 traces.

• For server side traces, if AUDIT_SERVERSIDE_TRACES_FLAG is set, then the collector retrieves the value of the SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH setting. If this parameter contains the value #DYNAMIC, then the collector collects audit data from the SQL Server source database. This behavior also applies to the AUDIT_C2_FLAG and C2_TRACE_FILEPATH settings.

• You can modify the collector DESCRIPTION property and one or more attributes at a time. Table 9-2 lists the collector attributes (parameters), whether the parameter is mutable, the default value, and a brief description of the attribute.

• Note the following case-sensitivity guidelines for specifying attributes:

  • Except for the AGENTNAME attribute, the attribute names are case sensitive. Enter them in upper-case letters.

  • All the attribute values, including the AGENTNAME attribute value, are case sensitive. Enter them in the case shown the following tables.

Table 9-2 MSSQLDB Collector Attributes

Attribute	Description	Mutable	Default Value
AGENTNAME	Name of an agent to replace the agent that was specified by the avmssqldb add_collector command that was used for this source database. This feature enables you to move a collector from one agent to another. It is useful for failover recovery if the host computer running the original agent fails. This attribute only applies to collectors that collect from the server-side trace logs. When you enter a value for AGENTNAME, enter it using the same case that you used when you ran the avca add_agent command. After you replace the agent, you must run the avmssqldb setup command and avctl start_collector command. See "Examples" for more information.	Yes	NULL
DESCRIPTION	The description for this collector. The value you enter is not case sensitive.	Yes	NULL
DBCONNECTION	Number of connections to the database	No	1
AUDIT_C2_FLAG	Whether C2 logs can be collected by the MSSQLDB collector. Values can be 0 or 1.	Yes	1
AUDIT_SERVERSIDE_TRACES_FLAG	Whether server-side trace logs can be collected by the MSSQLDB collector. Values can be 0 or 1. See the usage notes.	Yes	1
AUDIT_EVENT_LOG_FLAG	Whether events logs can be collected by the MSSQLDB collector. Values can be 0 or 1. For SQL Server 2000, set this parameter to 0, because in that release, there are no auditable events written to the Windows Eventlog.	Yes	1
C2_TRACE_FILEPATH	The C2 trace file path. The value you enter is not case sensitive. See the usage notes.	Yes	NULL
SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH	The value for server-side trace file path The value you enter is not case sensitive. See the usage notes.	Yes	NULL
DELAY_TIME	The delay time (in milliseconds) of the collector	Yes	20000
NO_OF_RECORDS	The maximum number of records to be fetched by the collector. This attribute is mutable.	Yes	1000

Examples

The following example shows how to alter the NO_OF_RECORDS attribute and the collector description for the MSSQLCollector collector in Oracle Audit Vault:

$ avmssqldb alter_collector -srcname mssqldb4 -collname MSSQLCollector NO_OF_RECORDS=1500 DESCRIPTION="MSSQLDB collector 45" SERVERSIDE_TRACE_FILEPATH="c:\SQLAuditFile*.trc"

***** Collector Altered Successfully *****

The following sequence of commands demonstrate how to move a collector from one collection agent to another agent:

1. From the Audit Vault Server, configure two agents, A and B, on two separate hosts.

   For example:

   $ avca add_agent -agentname A -agenthost host1.example.com
   
   Adding agent...
   Enter agent user name: agent_user_name
   Enter agent user password: agent_user_pwd
   Re-enter agent user password: agent_user_pwd
   
   $ avca add_agent -agentname B -agenthost host2.example.com
   ...
   

2. Configure collector L to run under agent A and collect from source S.

   For example:

   $ avorcldb add_collector -collname L -srcname S -agentname A
   

3. The node that runs agent A fails.

4. Move the collector L from agent A to agent B.

   For example:

   $ avorcldb alter_collector -collname L -srcname S agentname=B
   

5. From the Audit Vault collection agent home, configure agent B to connect to source S.

   For example:

   $ avorcldb setup -srcname S
   
   Enter Source user name: source_user_name
   Enter Source password: password
   ...
   

6. From the Audit Vault Server, restart the collector.

   For example:

   $ avctl start_collector -collname L -srcname S
   
   Starting Collector...
   Collector started successfully.
   

9.5 alter_source

The avmssqldb alter_source command modifies the attributes of a SQL Server source database.

Where to Run This Command

Audit Vault Server

Syntax

avmssqldb alter_source -srcname sourcename 
          [attrname=attrvalue...attrname=attrvalue]

Arguments

Argument	Description
-srcname sourcename	Enter the name of the source database to be modified. Remember that the source database name is case-sensitive.
attrname=attrvalue	Enter the attribute pair (attribute name, new attribute value) for mutable source properties and attributes for this source type. This argument is optional. Separate multiple pairs by a space on the command line.

Usage Notes

Table 9-3 lists the source attributes, a brief description of the attribute, whether the attribute is mutable, and the default value. You can modify one or more source attributes at a time.

Table 9-3 Source Attributes

Attribute	Description	Mutable	Default Value
SOURCETYPE	The source type name for this source database. The default name is MSSQLDB.	No	NULL
NAME	The name for this source database	No	NULL
HOST	The source database host name	No	NULL
HOST_IP	The source database host IP address	No	NULL
VERSION	The source database version	Yes	NULL
DESCRIPTION	The description for this source database	Yes	NULL
PORT	A new port number for this system where the source database audit data resides	Yes	None

Example

The following example shows how to alter the DESCRIPTION attribute for the source database named mssqldb4 in Oracle Audit Vault:

$ avmssqldb alter_source -srcname mssqldb4 DESCRIPTION="HR Database" 

***** Source Altered Successfully *****

9.6 drop_collector

The avmssqldb drop_collector command disables (but does not remove) an MSSQLDB collector from Oracle Audit Vault.

Where to Run This Command

Audit Vault Server

Syntax

avmssqldb drop_collector -srcname srcname -collname collname

Arguments

Argument	Description
-srcname srcname	Enter the name of the source database to which the collector (specified in the -collname argument) belongs. Remember that the source database name is case-sensitive.
-collname collname	Enter the name of the collector to be dropped from Oracle Audit Vault.

Usage Notes

The drop_collector command does not delete the collector from Oracle Audit Vault. It only disables the collector. The collector metadata is still in the database after you run the drop_collector command. If you want to recreate the collector, create it with a different name.

Example

The following example shows how to drop a collector named MSSQLCollector from Oracle Audit Vault:

$ avmssqldb drop_collector -srcname mssqldb4 -collname MSSQLCollector

***** Collector Dropped Successfully *****

9.7 drop_source

The avmssqldb drop_source command disables (but does not remove) a SQL Server source database from Oracle Audit Vault.

Where to Run This Command

Audit Vault Server

Syntax

avmssqldb drop_source -srcname srcname

Arguments

Argument	Description
-srcname srcname	Enter the source (by source name) to be dropped from Oracle Audit Vault. Remember that the source database name is case-sensitive.

Usage Notes

• The drop_source command does not delete the source database from Oracle Audit Vault. It only disables the source database definition in Oracle Audit Vault. The source database metadata is still in the database after you run the drop_source command. If you want to re-create the source database definition, create it with a different name.

• You cannot drop a source database if it has any active collectors for this source database. You must drop all collectors associated with the source database before you can run the drop_source command on it.

Example

The following example shows how to drop the source named mssqldb4 from Oracle Audit Vault:

$ avmssqldb drop_source -srcname mssqldb4

***** Drop Source Successfully *****

9.8 -help

The avmssqldb -help command displays help information for the AVMSSQLDB commands.

Where to Run This Command

Either Audit Vault Server or collection agent home

Syntax

avmssqldb -help

avmssqldb command -help

Arguments

Argument	Description
command	Enter the name of an AVMSSQLDB command for which you want help to appear.

Usage Notes

None

Example

The following example shows how to display general AVMSSQLDB utility help in Oracle Audit Vault:

avmssqldb -help

The following example shows how to display specific AVMSSQLDB help for the add_source command in the Audit Vault Server home shell.

$ avmssqldb add_source -help

    add_source 
      -src <host>[:<port>|\<instancename>] -srcname
      <srcname> [-desc <desc>]
 
  Purpose: The source is added to Audit Vault. 
 
  Arguments:
       -src        : Source DB connection information
       -srcname    : Name of a source 
       -desc       : Optional description of the source
 
   Examples:
     avmssqldb add_source -src 'server\instancename'
     -desc 'source for admin databases' -srcname mssource

9.9 setup

The avmssqldb setup command adds the SQL Server source user credentials to the wallet, creates a database alias in the wallet for the source user, and verifies the connection to the source using the wallet. You also can use this command to change the source user credentials in the wallet after these credentials have been changed in the source database.

Where to Run This Command

Audit Vault collection agent home

Syntax

avmssqldb setup -srcname srcname 

Arguments

Argument	Description
-srcname srcname	Enter the name of the source database. Remember that the source database name is case-sensitive.

Usage Notes

• If you installed the collection agent on a Microsoft Windows computer, run the avmssqldb setup command from the ORACLE_HOME\bin directory. For UNIX or Linux installations, set the appropriate environment variables before running this command. See Section 2.2 for more information.

• The avmssqldb setup command prompts for the source user name and password. This user account must exist on the source database.

Example

$ avmssqldb setup -srcname mssqldb4
Enter a username : source_user_name
Enter a password : password

***** Credentials Successfully added *****

9.10 verify

The avmssqldb verify command verifies that a SQL Server source database is compatible for setting up the specified collector.

Where to Run This Command

Either Audit Vault Server or collection agent home

Syntax

avmssqldb verify -src host:port|host\instance_name

Arguments

Argument

Description

-src host:port|host\instance_name

Enter the source database connection information.Typically, the host is the fully qualified domain name or IP address of the server on which the SQL Server source database is running. The syntax you use depends on your configuration. Use the following syntax for single-instance configurations where the port number is different from 1433. Separate the host and port number with a colon. -src host:port Use the following syntax if the instance is not on the default port or does not have a default name. For configurations with multiple instances on one server, you must only use this syntax. Separate the host name and instance name with a backslash, and then enclose them single quotation marks. -src 'host\instance_name'

Usage Notes

• The avmssqldb verify command checks the following:

  • Whether the version of the SQL Server database is supported: SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005

  • Whether the source user has the required privileges in the source database that is to be registered with Oracle Audit Vault

  • Whether auditing (C2 auditing and server-side trace auditing) is enabled in the source database

• If you installed the collection agent on a Microsoft Windows computer, then run the avmssqldb verify command from the ORACLE_HOME\bin directory. For UNIX or Linux installations, set the appropriate environment variables before running this command. See Section 2.2 for more information.

• The avmssqldb verify command prompts for the source user name and password. This user account must exist on the source database.

Example

The following example verifies that the source is compatible with the MSSQLDB collector on Windows.

$ avmssqldb verify -src 192.0.2.1:4523
Enter a username : source_user_name
Enter a password : password

***** Source Verified *****