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  1. #1
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    Default Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Hello, hoping someone can answer a couple of questions related to the admin activity log...

    First, I'm assuming so, but would like to confirm...does it only log changes and activity made from within the interface in relation to external file changes?
    Example: if meta tags for a product are changed within the interface, then the user, date/time, etc. will be logged, but if the meta_tags.php file is modified with changes, I'm assuming that isn't logged in any way.

    Second, what all would result in the "Log reset by {someuser}" entry? I would assume that user actually performing a Reset, but are there other activities? If updating/upgrading from 1.3.8 to 1.5.1, would that cause a reset? Would it need to be done to perform the upgrade?

    Thanks for any help anyone can provide!

    Cheers

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Quote Originally Posted by idevs View Post
    Hello, hoping someone can answer a couple of questions related to the admin activity log...

    First, I'm assuming so, but would like to confirm...does it only log changes and activity made from within the interface in relation to external file changes?
    Example: if meta tags for a product are changed within the interface, then the user, date/time, etc. will be logged, but if the meta_tags.php file is modified with changes, I'm assuming that isn't logged in any way.

    Second, what all would result in the "Log reset by {someuser}" entry? I would assume that user actually performing a Reset, but are there other activities? If updating/upgrading from 1.3.8 to 1.5.1, would that cause a reset? Would it need to be done to perform the upgrade?

    Thanks for any help anyone can provide!

    Cheers
    For the first question, the activity-log records who-did-what-when within the admin GUI interface; it does not record changes to external PHP (or image) files.

    For the second, that "Log reset" (I'm pretty sure) records who (which admin) clicked the "Reset" button within the activity logs' tool.

    P.S. Welcome to the forums!

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Quote Originally Posted by idevs View Post

    First, I'm assuming so, but would like to confirm...does it only log changes and activity made from within the interface in relation to external file changes?
    Example: if meta tags for a product are changed within the interface, then the user, date/time, etc. will be logged, but if the meta_tags.php file is modified with changes, I'm assuming that isn't logged in any way.
    As @lat9 explained, this is correct. You can track changes like this though with the Changed Files plugin:

    https://www.zen-cart.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=2193
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  4. #4
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Thanks for the responses!

    More specifically about "reasons why" the log file would be reset...I understand wanting or needing to reset or export/reset to keep it from getting too large and, I assume, slowing down or perhaps even crashing the site...

    But is it recommended or would it have been necessary to reset it for updating, or upgrading...specifically a large update from 1.3.8 to 1.5.0/1?

    Not to confuse, but yes, this is actually a historically related question in trying to understand events that actually occurred on a system.

    Thanks again for all the help!

    Cheers

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Quote Originally Posted by swguy View Post
    You can track changes like this though with the Changed Files plugin
    I'm guessing not, but would that also show "who" changed files, or just that they were changed and when?

    Cheers

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Quote Originally Posted by idevs View Post
    Thanks for the responses!

    More specifically about "reasons why" the log file would be reset...I understand wanting or needing to reset or export/reset to keep it from getting too large and, I assume, slowing down or perhaps even crashing the site...

    But is it recommended or would it have been necessary to reset it for updating, or upgrading...specifically a large update from 1.3.8 to 1.5.0/1?

    Not to confuse, but yes, this is actually a historically related question in trying to understand events that actually occurred on a system.

    Thanks again for all the help!

    Cheers
    That admin_activity_log table can get quite large, especially if you're adding/removing/updating products and/or processing orders. It's best (IMO) to reset that log ... after using the admin tool to export the current contents of that table via the Admin :: Admin Activity Logs tool. I normally export "All logged data, regardless of severity" in CSV format, saving the output file on the site's server (that'll be in the /admin/backups sub-directory).

    If the table gets too big, you could run into a "time exceeded" or "out of memory" condition when you attempt to perform that export.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Your guess is correct, but if there are multiple people changing files on your site, it might be a good idea to change your FTP credentials and get that locked down. One and only one person authorized to change files is a good rule.
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  8. #8
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Excellent. Huge thanks for helping me to better understand functioning and impact!

    Cheers

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    There are other server logs that can show activity performed to files on the server, they too can be large and may show way more info about activity on the server than what is being sought. The logs also may only be retrievable by system admins (host) and often are only kept for a specific period of time (week or two). They won't show a "who" but instead an ip address as reported to the server. Some hosts also show ftp logs separate from standard html type accesses. They won't show what data was actually transferred but should show what request was made.

    Now, if trying to understand how/why the admin_activity_log might have been brought over in the upgrade process as blank, can call it an "excuse", but as far as operation goes, its content is not essential to how the site responds to a shopper, its size at transfer could be large, a backup of the database would still have the information and could be carried forwards in its own upgrade. So, in bringing up the new store in the new version, upload/download times could be reduced without that content present and further the process of incorporating the old database to the new store may not have been performed in accordance with the current instruction (which has changed over the last 10+ years following the time that 1.5.1 was released) resulting in a loss within the 1.5.0/1 store database of that data. Again though a backup of the original database could be restored to recover that information.
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  10. #10
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    Default Re: Admin Activity Log ... some questions

    Thanks again all for your responses and help. It has proved valuable to better understand how this powerful tool works!

    Cheers

 

 

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