T
racking the complex trail of information within
an organization is a major task. To address this
issue, Microsoft introduced audit support possi-
bilities in SharePoint 2007. Audit undertakes the verifi-
cation and validation of systems, and then processes
the results in automated technologies to guarantee
the integrity and accuracy of the information. The
Audit mechanism ensures
that each activity in the sys-
tem is saved in a repository.
Because SharePoint is
Microsoft's primary system
to store information, it is
essential that it include a
built-in audit system. In
legacy versions, SharePoint
lacked a proper default sys-
tem; although it was possi-
ble to program a kind of
audit mechanism in
SharePoint 2003, it was not
a default component. SharePoint 2007 introduced a
default system that covers Site Collections, Lists,
Libraries, and includes an Object Model to implement
custom applications if necessary.
Many companies have strict policies and guidelines
related to storing records concerned with the flow and
activity of information. With a nod to assuring enter-
prise transparency, governments require sophisticated
tracing procedures to determine juridical responsibili-
ty. SharePoint Audit mechanism ensures that each
activity that occurs at Site Collection, List/Library,
Content Type, and Document/Item is stored in the
database, with sufficient
security to avoid alterations.
Although the Audit mecha-
nism is a general SharePoint
component, only Microsoft
Office SharePoint Server
(MOSS) has an interface to
activate and configure it.
Windows SharePoint
Services (WSS) can duplicate
the process, but developers
need to program the appro-
priate interfaces to utilize it.
Auditing in MOSS
The Audit mechanism in MOSS is not activated by
default. Go to Site actions, Site settings, Site collec-
7
Putting SharePoint to Work for You, an Internet.com Developer eBook. Copyright 2008, Jupitermedia Corp.
Putting SharePoint to Work for You
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Auditing in SharePoint 2007
By Gustavo Velez
Jupiterimages
SharePoint 2007 introduced a default system that covers Site Collections,
Lists, Libraries, and includes an Object Model to implement custom
applications if necessary.
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