Event logging typically refers to a standard, centralized way for applications (and the operating system) to record and store software and hardware events. Logs may contain records of events from various sources. Across the Four51 Distributor and Supplier network, the most commonly requested historical information relates to:

• Administrative actions: who did what, and when. Example: deleted a buyer company, updated inventory balances, edited a product
• End-User actions: successful and failed logon attempts, orders submitted, user profiles updated
• Orders: data necessary for forensic analyses, including submitted by, approved by, payment method, quantity, price, etc.
• Environment: performance and reliability of the network  

  
Note that in some cases requests for historical Four51 information can be provided via recurring and ad hoc reporting. A log file isn't necessary to fulfill every request for data.  

That said, Four51 and its infrastructure partner, OneNeck, maintain a variety of logs covering transactions, configuration changes and platform performance. A simple example is the History feature in the Storefront 2.0 Code Editor. This logs who changed a particular file, the date of the change, and it provides a tool for comparing previous and current versions to pinpoint the exact change.

To determine if Four51 Professional Services can provide the specific historical information you're looking for, please submit a case and include as much detail as possible.

Final thoughts:

• To fulfill specific client requirements, some Four51 customers have implemented custom logging using a 3rd-party database like Knack. Examples of data elements logged this was include attempted end-user logons and any changes made to existing variants
• When evaluating solutions for external logging, be aware that log files can get very large very fast
• Keep in mind that successfully logging relevant data is rarely the final goal; carefully consider any needs you may have to extract, organize and analyze logs