I’m working with a database in SQL Server 2000 and I need to figure out when existing records were last changed. The problem is, the table doesn’t have a ‘last updated’ column. I’m not sure if adding one now would help, since it wouldn’t have the history for existing data. Is there any way to retrieve this information? Maybe some kind of system log or metadata that SQL Server keeps track of? I’ve looked through the documentation but couldn’t find anything helpful. Any ideas or suggestions would be really appreciated. I’m trying to audit some data changes and this information would be super useful for my project.
hmm, interesting problem! have u thought about using timestamps from backup logs? might give u a rough idea of when stuff changed. or maybe check if theres any version control for ur db scripts? cud give clues about table modifications. just brainstorming here - what do u think?
Unfortunately, SQL Server 2000 doesn’t have built-in functionality to track last modification dates automatically. Without an existing ‘last updated’ column, retrieving this information for historical data is challenging. However, moving forward, you could implement a trigger on the table to update a datetime column whenever a record is modified. This won’t solve the issue for existing data, but it will track future changes. Alternatively, you might consider implementing your own change tracking system using a separate audit table that logs modifications. This would require additional development work but could provide the detailed audit trail you’re looking for. For existing data, you might need to rely on application logs or other external sources if available.
hey there! sadly, sql server 2000 doesn’t track changes automatically. for future, u could add a ‘last_modified’ column n use triggers to update it. but for existing data, ur outta luck unless u got some app logs or something. maybe time to upgrade to a newer version? they got better auditing stuff built-in.