Methods, devices, and computer-readable storage media for tracking changes in a database including at least one database table include adding a first column to a schema of each database table. The first column includes a row update identifier for each row of the database table. A global update identifier is incremented in response to a row change and recorded as the row update identifier for the changed row. In response to a latest database synchronization event, a reference table including a synchronization update identifier is generated, and the global update identifier is incremented and recorded as the synchronization update identifier. An update to a row in a database table is tracked based at least upon determining that a row update identifier of the updated row in the database table is greater than the synchronization update identifier in the reference table.