# Using SQL Server Audit
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You can control server audits, server audit specifications, and database audit specifications the same way that you control them for on-premises database servers.

## Creating audits
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You create server audits in the same way that you create them for on-premises database servers. For information about how to create server audits, see [CREATE SERVER AUDIT](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/t-sql/statements/create-server-audit-transact-sql) in the Microsoft SQL Server documentation.

To avoid errors, adhere to the following limitations:
+ Don't exceed the maximum number of supported server audits per instance of 50. 
+ Instruct SQL Server to write data to a binary file.
+ Don't use `RDS_` as a prefix in the server audit name.
+ For `FILEPATH`, specify `D:\rdsdbdata\SQLAudit`.
+ For `MAXSIZE`, specify a size between 2 MB and 50 MB.
+ Don't configure `MAX_ROLLOVER_FILES` or `MAX_FILES`.
+ Don't configure SQL Server to shut down the DB instance if it fails to write the audit record.

## Creating audit specifications
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You create server audit specifications and database audit specifications the same way that you create them for on-premises database servers. For information about creating audit specifications, see [CREATE SERVER AUDIT SPECIFICATION](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/t-sql/statements/create-server-audit-specification-transact-sql) and [CREATE DATABASE AUDIT SPECIFICATION](https://docs.microsoft.com/sql/t-sql/statements/create-database-audit-specification-transact-sql) in the Microsoft SQL Server documentation.

To avoid errors, don't use `RDS_` as a prefix in the name of the database audit specification or server audit specification.