SQL Server Audit Clutters Error log I have a Server level Audit running and informational messages are continuously placed in the SQL Error log (every hour):

Audit: Server Audit: 65976, Initialized and Assigned State: STARTED
Audit: Server Audit: 65976, Initialized and Assigned State: START_FAILED
Audit: Server Audit: 65975 Session has been closed
Audit: Server Audit: 65975, State changed from: STARTED to: SHUTTING_DOWN

My question is, why does this happen and more important can this be prevented (while continuing the audit)?
This isn't clutter. You need to figure out why the audit is failing, and resolve it.