Using the Audit Log #
The AccountingSuite maintains a change history of database objects. This feature allows you to answer questions such as who changed the object, when the changes occurred, and what was modified in the object. Objects that can be versioned include lists and documents. The configuration allows you to view any version of an object or compare any versions of an object with each other. Working with this feature involves two stages:
- configuring object versioning
- viewing the object change history
Change history allows you to quickly answer questions like
- Who changed the object?
- When did the changes occur?
- What was changed in the object?
The application enables viewing any version of an object or comparing different versions of an object with each other. To view the version history of a specific list or document, you need to click on the Show → Audit Log button. The Audit Log button is available only for those objects that have change history storage configured.
A user with full permissions (admin user rights) has the ability to modify comments for versions. This can be useful, for example, when analyzing changes to a document.
By clicking the Technical details on the object change link immediately after making and saving changes, you can view the log filtered by events related to this object.
By clicking the Open version button, you can view the report on the object’s status at the desired point in time.
To view the Object version change report, you need to select two or more versions in the version list, then click the Compare button.
Setting up the Audit Log #
- Navigate to the Admin Panel → Application settings
- Click Change history
- Check the checkbox labeled Store change history
- Click Configure
The Change history storage settings panel appears.
Click the Save versions button, then select the desired change history storage option from the drop-down list for each document and list type:
- Never – history is not stored, relevant for lists, as changes in them do not affect accounting.
- On save – new entries are added to the version history when a list or document is modified (or created).
- On post (for documents) – similar to the On save option, but versions are not recorded until the document is posted (general ledger transactions were made).
- By default – set the recommended settings (for lists – never (do not create versions), for documents – create versions on posting, for business processes – create versions on start).
Click the Keep versions for button, then select the desired version retention period for each document and list type from the dropdown menu:
- 1 week
- 1 month
- 2 months
- 3 months
- 6 months
- 1 year
- Indefinitely
Old change history entries will be automatically erased. This will allow you to control the space occupied by the data. Since each version in the history of changes is equal in size to the document itself, which, with frequent data changes, can make up a significant amount of the database.
You can set Auto-delete old version mode and Set schedule for it.
To minimize the space occupied by the history of changes, you can configure audit logging only for the necessary objects.
Set Save versions to Never and then set the necessary objects to On save / On post by clicking on the object line.
Version inventory analysis overview #
If the disk space allocated for storing application data is limited, the report can be used to monitor the volume of stored object versions and make a decision to reduce the number of stored versions.
On the Change history storage settings screen, click on Version inventory analysis link and it creates the following reports:
- Chart: Size of stored versions, by object types
- Chart: Number of stored versions
- Numerical data on the number and volume of stored versions
This will allow you to analyze the amount of data occupied by the history of changes and make a decision about clearing them.