System Activity Log

The System Activity Log is an administration metrics page that includes user activity, security, and error metrics. It has the ability to log pertinent information regarding specific user activity or events which have occurred within the system to a repository that can be viewed and analyzed for the purpose of noting trends or issuing alerts.

Because user activity logging can get very large, you can enable or disable user action logging in system options. The log tables are stored in a separate database from the system database. For example, for a company database of CoAcme, the log database would be named CoAcmeLogs. The logs consist of error metrics, security information, and user activity. System administrators can view and search the log information within the e-admin application as well as through the main e-automate application. Users with appropriate administrative rights can also access the log information. By default, the listing displays only log entries for the current day.

Getting to the TransactionGetting to the Transaction

Log into e-admin.

Note: You can also access the system activity log in e-automate by going to Tools > View system activity log.

Right-click on the company and select View system activity log. The system displays the Enter Admin password window.

In the Admin password for [Company ID] field, enter the applicable password.

Click [OK]. If the system verifies your admin password for the company you selected, the system displays one of two windows. If this is the first time you are viewing system activity log information for this company, the system displays the System Activity Log window so you can specify the level of logging you want the system to display for this company. If you have already specified the level of logging you want the system to display for this company, the system displays the System Activity Log Entries window.

Specifying the Level of Detail to LogSpecifying the Level of Detail to Log

You use the System Activity Log window to specify the level of detail you want the system to log for the selected company. If this is the first time you are viewing the system activity log for this company, the system displays this window so you can indicate the level of detail you want the system to display on the System Activity Log Entries window. If you have already viewed the system activity log for this company and want to change the level of detail to log for this company, click the Configure icon on the System Activity Log Entries window's toolbar to access the System Activity Log window.

To specify the type of logging you want the system to perform for the selected company, do the following:

In the System Activity Log field on the System Activity Log window, use the drop-down menu to select one of the following:

No logging: Select this option if you do not want to log any system activity.

Basic error logging: Select this option if you want the system to log basic error metrics and user activity.

Tip: This option is recommended.

Verbose logging: Select this option if you want the system to log error metrics and user activity with extremely detailed information.

Click [OK]. The system displays the System Activity Log Entries window.

Viewing and Searching System Activity Log EntriesViewing and Searching System Activity Log Entries

When you open the System Activity Log Entries window, the system applies the pre-defined Today's events filter. Because this filter is too complex to display or edit via the QuickSearch region, the QuickSearch region displays the message, "This is a complex system filter and can't be viewed or edited."

The table below the QuickSearch region displays the system activity log entry results based on this filter. For each system activity log that matches the search criteria, the system displays the following information:

Entry Date: The date of the activity log entry.

Event Class: The event class of the activity log entry.

Description: The description of the activity log entry.

User: The user associated with the activity log entry.

Workstation: The workstation that the activity occurred on.

Application: The application used, either e-admin or e-automate.

Additional Data: Any additional information for the activity log entry.

To view and/or search for specific log entries, do any of the following:

To filter the log entries to display, use the QuickSearch region to do any of the following:

To define your own search, click the [Clear] button and enter your search parameters. You can search activity log entries by:

Application

Description

Entry Date

Event Class

User

Workstation

To re-apply the system's pre-defined Today's events filter, click the drop-down menu button at the right side of the [Searches] button and select Today~s events.

Note: For more information on using QuickSearch functionality, see the Using the QuickSearch topic.

To view the details for a specific activity log entry, do the following:

Select the log entry for which you want to view detail.

Click the View icon. The system displays the Activity Log window.

To copy the data displayed on this window to your clipboard so that you can paste it from the clipboard to another location, click the [Copy to Clipboard] button.

To close this window, click the [Close] button.

To update the list of system activity log entries, click the Refresh icon.

Exporting System Activity Log EntriesExporting System Activity Log Entries

To export to Microsoft Excel the log entry/entries currently displayed on the System Activity Log Entries window, do the following:

Click the Export icon to export the system activity log data to Microsoft Excel. The system opens Excel and populates Sheet 1 of a new file. The first line references the System Activity Log Entries window and the QuickSearch filter used for selecting the system activity log entry data to display. The export file includes a [Refresh] button that you can use to update the data displayed in this file with any new records that match the selected QuickSearch filter. For each log entry included in the exported data, the system lists EventID, EntryDate, EventClass, Description, User, Workstation, Application, and AdditionalData.

Note: You must have appropriate rights to export to Microsoft Excel.

To refresh the data, do the following:

Before proceeding, verify that you want to refresh the data.

Note: If you created this file to save system activity log data prior to a purge, then you purge the data, and then you refresh this file, you will lose the system activity log data that you purged. If you want to proceed with refreshing the data in this file, continue to the next step.

Click the [Refresh] button. The system displays the ECI e-automate login window. Log in to e-automate.

Note: If you do not have sufficient security rights, the system displays an error message. If you need additional rights, check with your system administrator to obtain the appropriate rights.

The system displays the Confirm Database window. Do one of the following:

Click [Yes] to confirm the database selected for refreshing the exported data.

Click [No] to cancel and return to the Excel file without updating the exported data.

Click [Change database] to select a different database. The system re-displays the e-automate login window.

If you clicked [Yes], the system re-displays the Confirm Database window. Do one of the following:

Click [Yes] to confirm the database selected for refreshing the exported data.

Click [No] to cancel and return to the Excel file without updating the exported data.

Click [Change database] to select a different database. The system re-displays the e-automate login window.

If you clicked [Yes], the system updates the exported data by re-processing the QuickSearch query on the selected database.

Purging System Activity Log EntriesPurging System Activity Log Entries

To purge all system activity log entries for the selected company, do the following:

Click the Purge icon to remove all existing data in the activity log. The system displays the message, "Are you sure you want to purge the activity log? All existing data will be lost! It is recommended that you export the data first."

To proceed with the purge, click [Yes]; to cancel the purge, click [No].

Note: If you proceed with the purge, the System Activity Log Entries window will create applicable log entries that indicate the data was cleared from the activity log and that identify the current log level. If you cancel the purge and want to export the data before purging the data, see the "Exporting System Activity Log Entries" section of this topic for information on exporting data.