Enable tables and fields to be audited

The auditClosed feature is a comprehensive tool for Aspen system administrators to track changes to information in specific fields. An entry appears on the audit record or change history each time a user creates, edits, or deletes data in a field you turn on for tracking.

The Change History is a summary view of the audit. With the appropriate user roles privileges, user may be able to view the history of changes to fields on a detail page. The Change History also can be viewed for a specified date range. You can view changes to a field for:

  • Today
  • Yesterday
  • This week
  • Last week
  • This month
  • All records

The following table lists what data can be viewed from an audit and change history:

Table List Audit Change History

Type of change

Date and time change was made

User who made the change

Audited record

Field's previous value

Field's changed value

Field's current value
(might be different than the changed value if a change had been made after this particular change was made)

 

Any related changes

 

System administrators define which tables and fields they want to track on the audit.

Note: In addition to enabling tables and fields to be audited, system administrators also need to enable the audit feature for the district. See Define District Preferences.

To define tables to be included in the audit:

  1. Log on to the District view.
  2. Click the Admin tab.
  3. Click the Data Dictionary side-tab.
  4. Select a table you want to track, and click Details on the Data Dictionary side-tab. The table's details page appears:

  1. If the Table audit type field is set to System as shown in the above screen, it indicates that this table and its fields cannot be audited. You cannot change this. This is used for tables and fields that are modified frequently and auditing them would result in a large number of audit records that would not be very useful. For example, the Gradebook Score table cannot be audited since there are many teachers entering individual assignments and grades for assignments.
  2. If there is a drop-down at the Table audit type field as shown in the screen below, select one of the following:
    • None: Aspen will not track changes to information in this table or its fields.
    • Partial: Aspen will track changes only to the individual fields you select. If you select Partial here, you must define which fields in the table you want to audit in the field's details page. See Defining specific fields to include in the audit.
    • All: Aspen will track changes to information in all the fields in this table.
  • Notes: The setting for the Table audit type overrides the setting for the Field audit type.

    To use the Change History option, the Table audit type must be set to All or Partial.

    Table audit type Field audit type Result

    All

    Off (Audit is disabled.)

    All fields are audited.

    All

    On

    All fields are audited.

    None

    On

    No fields are audited.

    None

    Off

    No fields are audited.

    Partial

    On

    Only fields with Field audit type =On is audited.

    Partial

    Off

    No fields are audited.

  1. Click Save.

To define specific fields to include in the audit:

  1. On the Data Dictionary side-tab, click Fields.
  2. Click the field name.
  3. At the Field audit type drop-down, select On to enable this field for tracking.
  4. Click Save.
Note: After making changes to the details of a table or field, remember to reload the Data Dictionary.