Enabling Audit Logging v13

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The following steps describe how to configure Advanced Server to log all connections, disconnections, DDL statements, DCL statements, DML statements, and any statements resulting in an error.

Enable auditing by the setting the edb_audit parameter to xml or csv.
Set the file rotation day when the new file will be created by setting the parameter edb_audit_rotation_day to the desired value.
To audit all connections, set the parameter, edb_audit_connect, to all.
To audit all disconnections, set the parameter, edb_audit_disconnect, to all.
To audit DDL, DCL, DML and other statements, set the parameter, edb_audit_statement according to the instructions in Selecting SQL Statements to Audit.

The setting of the edb_audit_statement parameter in the configuration file affects the entire database cluster.

The type of statements that are audited as controlled by the edb_audit_statement parameter can be further refined according to the database in use as well as the database role running the session:

The edb_audit_statement parameter can be set as an attribute of a specified database with the ALTER DATABASE dbname SET edb_audit_statement command. This setting overrides the edb_audit_statement parameter in the configuration file for statements executed when connected to database dbname.
The edb_audit_statement parameter can be set as an attribute of a specified role with the ALTER ROLE rolename SET edb_audit_statement command. This setting overrides the edb_audit_statement parameter in the configuration file as well as any setting assigned to the database by the previously described ALTER DATABASE command when the specified role is running the current session.
The edb_audit_statement parameter can be set as an attribute of a specified role when using a specified database with the ALTER ROLE rolename IN DATABASE dbname SET edb_audit_statement command. This setting overrides the edb_audit_statement parameter in the configuration file as well as any setting assigned to the database by the previously described ALTER DATABASE command as well as any setting assigned to the role with the ALTER ROLE command without the IN DATABASE clause as previously described.

The following are examples of this technique.

The database cluster is established with edb_audit_statement set to all as shown in its postgresql.conf file:

logging_collector = 'on'
edb_audit_statement = 'all'     # Statement type to be audited:
                                # none, dml, insert, update, delete, truncate,
                                # select, error, rollback, ddl, create, drop,
                                # alter, grant, revoke, set, all

A database and role are established with the following settings for the edb_audit_statement parameter:

Database auditdb with ddl, insert, update, and delete
Role admin with select, truncate, and set
Role admin in database auditdb with create table, insert, and update

Creation and alteration of the database and role are shown by the following:

$ psql edb enterprisedb
Password for user enterprisedb:
psql.bin (13.0.0)
Type "help" for help.

edb=# SHOW edb_audit_statement;
 edb_audit_statement
---------------------
 all
(1 row)

edb=# CREATE DATABASE auditdb;
CREATE DATABASE
edb=# ALTER DATABASE auditdb SET edb_audit_statement TO 'ddl, insert, update, delete';
ALTER DATABASE
edb=# CREATE ROLE admin WITH LOGIN SUPERUSER PASSWORD 'password';
CREATE ROLE
edb=# ALTER ROLE admin SET edb_audit_statement TO 'select, truncate';
ALTER ROLE
edb=# ALTER ROLE admin IN DATABASE auditdb SET edb_audit_statement TO 'create table, insert, update';
ALTER ROLE

The following demonstrates the changes made and the resulting audit log file for three cases.

Case 1: Changes made in database auditdb by role enterprisedb. Only ddl, insert, update, and delete statements are audited:

$ psql auditdb enterprisedb
Password for user enterprisedb:
psql.bin (13.0.0)
Type "help" for help.

auditdb=# SHOW edb_audit_statement;
     edb_audit_statement
-----------------------------
 ddl, insert, update, delete
(1 row)

auditdb=# CREATE TABLE audit_tbl (f1 INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, f2 TEXT);
CREATE TABLE
auditdb=# INSERT INTO audit_tbl VALUES (1, 'Row 1');
INSERT 0 1
auditdb=# UPDATE audit_tbl SET f2 = 'Row A' WHERE f1 = 1;
UPDATE 1
auditdb=# SELECT * FROM audit_tbl;                  <== Should not be audited
 f1 |  f2
----+-------
  1 | Row A
(1 row)

auditdb=# TRUNCATE audit_tbl;                       <== Should not be audited
TRUNCATE TABLE

The following audit log file shows entries only for the CREATE TABLE, INSERT INTO audit_tbl, and UPDATE audit_tbl statements. The SELECT * FROM audit_tbl and TRUNCATE audit_tbl statements were not audited.

Each audit log entry has been split and displayed across multiple lines, and a blank line has been inserted between the audit log entries for more clarity in the appearance of the results.

2020-05-25 15:59:12.332 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,2,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/7,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: CREATE TABLE 
audit_tbl(f1 INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, f2 TEXT);",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","CREATE TABLE","","create"

2020-05-25 15:59:22.419 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,3,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/8,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement:INSERT INTO 
audit_tbl VALUES (1, 'Row 1');",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","INSERT","","insert"

2020-05-25 15:59:32.180 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,4,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/9,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: UPDATE
audit_tbl SET f2 = 'Row A' WHERE f1 = 1;",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","UPDATE","","update"

Case 2: Changes made in database edb by role admin. Only select, truncate, and set statements are audited:

$ psql edb admin
Password for user admin:
psql.bin (13.0.0)
Type "help" for help.

edb=# SHOW edb_audit_statement;
 edb_audit_statement
-----------------------
 select, truncate, set
(1 row)

edb=# SET default_with_rowids TO TRUE;
SET

edb=# CREATE TABLE edb_tbl (f1 INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, f2 TEXT); <== Should not be audited
CREATE TABLE
edb=# INSERT INTO edb_tbl VALUES (1, 'Row 1');                <== Should not be audited
INSERT 0 1
edb=# SELECT * FROM edb_tbl;
 f1 |  f2
----+-------
  1 | Row 1
(1 row)

edb=# TRUNCATE edb_tbl;
TRUNCATE TABLE

Continuation of the audit log file now appears as follows. The last two entries representing the second case show only the SET default_with_rowids TO TRUE, SELECT * FROM edb_tbl and TRUNCATE edb_tbl statements. The CREATE TABLE edb_tbl and INSERT INTO edb_tbl statements were not audited.

2020-05-25 15:59:12.332 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,2,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/7,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: CREATE TABLE 
audit_tbl(f1 INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, f2 TEXT);",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","CREATE TABLE","","create"

2020-05-25 15:59:22.419 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,3,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/8,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: INSERT INTO 
audit_tbl VALUES (1, 'Row 1');",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","INSERT","","insert"

2020-05-25 15:59:32.180 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,4,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/9,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: UPDATE
audit_tbl SET f2 = 'Row A' WHERE f1 = 1;",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","UPDATE","","update"

2021-02-18 08:04:57.434 IST,"admin","edb",3182,"[local]",602e65dc.c6e,1,
"idle",2021-02-18 08:04:28 IST,4/22,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: SET default_with_rowids TO TRUE;
",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","SET","","set"

2021-02-18 08:06:01.662 IST,"admin","edb",3182,"[local]",602e65dc.c6e,2,
"idle",2021-02-18 08:04:28 IST,4/27,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: SELECT * FROM edb_tbl;
",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","SELECT","","select"

2021-02-18 08:06:11.125 IST,"admin","edb",3182,"[local]",602e65dc.c6e,3,
"idle",2021-02-18 08:04:28 IST,4/28,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: TRUNCATE edb_tbl;
",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","TRUNCATE TABLE","","truncate"

Case 3: Changes made in database auditdb by role admin. Only create table, insert, and update statements are audited:

$ psql auditdb admin
Password for user admin:
psql.bin (13.0.0)
Type "help" for help.

auditdb=# SHOW edb_audit_statement;
     edb_audit_statement
------------------------------
 create table, insert, update
(1 row)

auditdb=# CREATE TABLE audit_tbl_2 (f1 INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, f2 TEXT);
CREATE TABLE
auditdb=# INSERT INTO audit_tbl_2 VALUES (1, 'Row 1');
INSERT 0 1
auditdb=# SELECT * FROM audit_tbl_2;                <== Should not be audited
 f1 |  f2
----+-------
  1 | Row 1
(1 row)

auditdb=# TRUNCATE audit_tbl_2;                     <== Should not be audited
TRUNCATE TABLE

Continuation of the audit log file now appears as follows. The next to last two entries representing the third case show only CREATE TABLE audit_tbl_2 and INSERT INTO audit_tbl_2 statements. The SELECT * FROM audit_tbl_2 and TRUNCATE audit_tbl_2 statements were not audited.

2020-05-25 15:59:12.332 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,2,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/7,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: CREATE TABLE 
audit_tbl(f1 INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, f2 TEXT);",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","CREATE TABLE","","create"

2020-05-25 15:59:22.419 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,3,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/8,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: INSERT INTO 
audit_tbl VALUES (1, 'Row 1');",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","INSERT","","insert"

2020-05-25 15:59:32.180 IST,"enterprisedb","auditdb",41837,"[local]",5ecb9dee.a36d,4,
"idle",2020-05-25 15:59:02 IST,5/9,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: UPDATE
audit_tbl SET f2 = 'Row A' WHERE f1 = 1;",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","UPDATE","","update"

2021-02-18 08:04:57.434 IST,"admin","edb",3182,"[local]",602e65dc.c6e,1,
"idle",2021-02-18 08:04:28 IST,4/22,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: SET default_with_rowids TO TRUE;
",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","SET","","set"

2021-02-18 08:06:01.662 IST,"admin","edb",3182,"[local]",602e65dc.c6e,2,
"idle",2021-02-18 08:04:28 IST,4/27,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: SELECT * FROM edb_tbl;
",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","SELECT","","select"

2021-02-18 08:06:11.125 IST,"admin","edb",3182,"[local]",602e65dc.c6e,3,
"idle",2021-02-18 08:04:28 IST,4/28,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: TRUNCATE edb_tbl;
",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","TRUNCATE TABLE","","truncate"

2020-05-25 17:30:59.057 IST,"admin","auditdb",122093,"[local]",5ecbb370.1dced,2,
"idle",2020-05-25 17:30:48 IST,5/11,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: CREATE TABLE
audit_tbl_2 (f1 INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, f2 TEXT);",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","CREATE TABLE","","create"

2020-05-25 17:31:08.866 IST,"admin","auditdb",122093,"[local]",5ecbb370.1dced,3,
"idle",2020-05-25 17:30:48 IST,5/12,0,AUDIT,00000,"statement: INSERT INTO
audit_tbl_2 VALUES (1, 'Row 1');",,,,,,,,,"psql","client backend","INSERT","","insert"

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