Configure Auditing and Alerts

You can configure auditing and alerts or start audit trails by using the wizard in Activity Auditing.

Start Audit Trails Through Activity Auditing

  1. Under Security center, click Activity auditing.
  2. Click Start audit trails.
  3. Select a target database. If the database is not in the displayed compartment, click Change compartment, select the correct compartment, and then choose the target database from that compartment.
  4. If you wish to start collecting all the existing audit data in a particular audit trail, select the audit trail check box. Note: only trails that are in a NOT_STARTED or STOPPED state will be displayed as options.
  5. Select a start date. This date will be applied to all trails selected. Note: if a trail is in a STOPPED state, it will resume from when it was stopped, not the new start date.
  6. To review audit volume before starting the audit trail, click Configure auditing and alerts.
  7. Click Start trail(s).

Run the Configure Auditing and Alerts Wizard

From the Activity Auditing dashboard, you can configure auditing and alerts. This is the workflow:

  1. Under Security center, click Activity auditing.
  2. Click Configure auditing and alerts.

Step 1: Alert Policy

  1. Under Security center, click Activity auditing.
  2. Click Configure auditing and alerts to begin the wizard.
    The wizard displays the Configure auditing and alerts for the target database page.
  3. Select a target database. If the database is not in the displayed compartment, click Change compartment, select the correct compartment, and then choose the target database from that compartment.
  4. Select one or more alert policies for the target database. Any currently applied alert policies will already be selected, if applicable.
  5. Click Next.

Step 2: Audit Policy

  1. Review the current audit policies and make any necessary changes for the target database. Note: policies that are pre-selected and grayed out are required.
  2. If you wish to edit user activity, click the corresponding Enabled for all users or Enabled for specific users and/or roles link.
    1. The Configure policy window will appear. Choose which users to enable the policy for: All users, Only a specific set of users and/or roles, or All users except a specific set of users.
    2. If you wish to add a specific set of users, click Add users/roles.
    3. Select either Users or Roles.
    4. If you selected Users, select the list of users.
    5. For Operational status, select either Success, Failure, or Success or failure.
    6. Click Save.
  3. Click Next.

Step 3: Audit Trails

  1. Select the audit trail(s) you want to start for the target database.
  2. (Optional) Click Calculate audit records for additional months.
  3. The Show number of available audit records window will appear. Select a start date, which will only apply to audit trails that have not been previously started.
  4. Click Show.
  5. Click Next.

Step 4: Audit Profile

  1. Specify the number of months the audit records will be stored online in the Data Safe audit repository for immediate reporting and analysis. The minimum is 1 month, and the maximum is 12 months.
  2. Specify the number of months the audit records will be stored offline in the Data Safe audit archive. The minimum is 0 months, and the maximum is 72 months. If you have a requirement to store the audit data even longer in the archive, contact Oracle Support.
  3. If applicable, confirm whether you want to override the global retention settings. Note: Selecting No will reset the retention values to the global settings.
  4. Select Paid usage (Audit records > million/month) if you want to continue collecting audit records beyond the free limit of one million audit records per month per target database.
  5. If applicable, confirm whether you want to override the global paid usage settings. Note: Selecting No will reset the paid usage values to the global settings.
  6. Click Next.

Step 5: Review and Submit

  1. Review and confirm the changes for the target database.
  2. To modify a specific change, click Edit to return to any previous step.
  3. Click Next.

Step 6: Audit Configuration Progress

  1. The audit configuration will begin. Stay on the page to see the progress.
  2. Click Close.