What's the Best Database Design for Efficient Revision Tracking?

Optimize version tracking of database design

Database version tracking is critical for capturing historical changes to entities. Two common database design methods are:

Design 1: XML storage

• Store employee revisions in XML.
• Disadvantages:
  • Queries are slowed down due to XML parsing.
  • Restrict data operations (e.g., joins).

Design 2: Field copy

• Copy the employee field in the history table.
• Disadvantages:
  • High maintenance cost for multiple entities.
  • Requires consistent field naming and updates.

Alternative: Audit Trail Table

To address the limitations of the above design, consider using an audit trail table approach:

CREATE TABLE AuditTrail ( ID INT IDENTITY(1,1) NOT NULL, UserID INT NULL, EventDate DATETIME NOT NULL, TableName VARCHAR(50) NOT NULL, RecordID VARCHAR(20) NOT NULL, FieldName VARCHAR(50) NULL, OldValue VARCHAR(5000) NULL, NewValue VARCHAR(5000) NULL )

Advantages:

• Efficient querying as it does not require XML parsing or field copying.
• Detailed logging of all changes, including fields, users, timestamps, and old/new values.
• Supports advanced reporting and analysis of change history.

By adopting an audit trail table approach, organizations can effectively track entity revisions without impacting query performance or maintenance efforts.

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