Audit logs

This topic describes the audit logs and how to purge them.

Audit log overview

By default, the server is automatically configured to generate audit logs. With this option activated, the server logs audit events for projects in the server configuration database. For example, the log records when change requests are created, and when a file is added. The audit log entries can be viewed from a client by selecting the Audit tab in the upper pane. This operation can be performed only on a server configuration that is running.

A chronological record, the Audit log accumulates data about the actions performed on folders, files, requirements, change requests, tasks, and topics. Each log entry shows the user who carried out the action, the date and time the action was performed, the class name (type of item), the event (type of action), the view name, and the project name. By using filters or queries, you can locate all the entries for a particular item.

For most items, events may be added, branched, commented, created, deleted, modified, moved from, moved to, and shared. For files, events may also include converted, edited, item overwritten, locked, lock broken, and unlocked. Log entries themselves cannot be moved, shared, modified, or branched. If the Audit tab of the main window displays no entries, your administrator has probably disabled the Audit log function.

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Enabling and purging the audit log

When you select the Enable Audit Generation option, the server logs audit events for projects in the server configuration database. For example, the log records when change requests are created, and when a file is added. The audit log entries can be viewed from a client by selecting the Audit tab in the upper pane. This operation can be performed only on a server that is running.

Note: If setting the option to purge logs on server configuration startup, you need to restart your server configurations fairly regularly to avoid startup problems.

To enable the audit log:

  1. Open the Server Administration tool. If you are using the Server Administration tool installed with the client, you can administer remote servers only.
  2. From the list of servers, select the server configuration that you want to change. If you have not yet logged on, you will be asked to do so.
  3. Click the Configure Server shortcut or Tools > Administration > Configure Server. The Configure Server dialog box appears.
  4. Select the Audits tab.
  5. Select the Enable Audit Generation check box.
  6. Optionally, to automatically delete entries after a specified length of time, select the Purge Audit Entries Older Than check box. (Clearing this check box keeps the entries indefinitely.) Type a number of days in the Days text box. The range is from 7 to 1000 days. For example, to delete entries when they become approximately one month old, type 30 days in the Day text box. When the server configuration starts, entries that exceed this purge limit are deleted.
  7. Click OK.

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