Database Logging

Poweradmin can log operations to the database for auditing and tracking purposes.

Overview

Database logging records operations across three log tables:

• User events (log_users): login/logout, user creation/editing/deletion
• Zone events (log_zones): zone and record creation, modification, and deletion
• Group events (log_groups): group creation/editing/deletion, membership and zone assignment changes

Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
logging.database_enabled	false	Enable database logging
logging.dblog.use	false	Legacy setting (v3.x)

Modern Configuration

return [
    'logging' => [
        'database_enabled' => true,
    ],
];

Legacy Configuration

$dblog_use = true;

Docker Configuration

environment:
  PA_LOGGING_DATABASE_ENABLED: "true"

Log Tables

log_users

Column	Type	Description
id	int	Auto-increment ID
event	text	Description of the event
priority	int	Syslog priority level
created_at	timestamp	When the event occurred

log_zones

Column	Type	Description
id	int	Auto-increment ID
zone_id	int	Affected zone ID
event	text	Description of the event
priority	int	Syslog priority level
created_at	timestamp	When the event occurred

log_groups

Column	Type	Description
id	int	Auto-increment ID
group_id	int	Affected group ID
event	text	Description of the event
priority	int	Syslog priority level
created_at	timestamp	When the event occurred

What Gets Logged

User Events

• Login and logout
• User creation, editing, and deletion

Zone Events

• Zone creation with initial settings
• Zone type changes (MASTER, NATIVE, SLAVE)
• Zone deletion
• Record creation, modification, and deletion

Group Events

• Group creation, editing, and deletion
• User membership additions and removals
• Zone assignment additions and removals

Viewing Logs

Administrators can view the change log through the web interface:

1. Navigate to Logs in the main menu
2. Filter by zone, user, or date range
3. Export logs if needed

Querying Logs

You can query logs directly from the database:

-- Recent user events
SELECT * FROM log_users
ORDER BY created_at DESC
LIMIT 100;

-- Recent zone events
SELECT * FROM log_zones
ORDER BY created_at DESC
LIMIT 100;

-- Events for a specific zone
SELECT * FROM log_zones
WHERE zone_id = 42
ORDER BY created_at DESC;

-- Recent group events
SELECT * FROM log_groups
ORDER BY created_at DESC
LIMIT 100;

-- Events in date range
SELECT * FROM log_users
WHERE created_at BETWEEN '2025-01-01' AND '2025-01-31';

Log Retention

Database logs can grow large over time. Consider implementing a retention policy:

-- Delete logs older than 90 days
DELETE FROM log_users WHERE created_at < DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 90 DAY);
DELETE FROM log_zones WHERE created_at < DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 90 DAY);
DELETE FROM log_groups WHERE created_at < DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 90 DAY);

You can automate this with a cron job or scheduled task.

Performance Considerations

1. Index optimization: Ensure indexes on zone_id, group_id, and created_at columns
2. Log rotation: Implement retention policies for large deployments
3. Disk space: Monitor database size, especially with high change volume

Combining with Syslog

For comprehensive auditing, combine database logging with syslog:

'logging' => [
    'database_enabled' => true,
    'syslog_enabled' => true,
    'syslog_identity' => 'poweradmin',
    'syslog_facility' => LOG_USER,
],

This provides both persistent database records and real-time syslog events.

Related Documentation

• Logging Setup
• Security Policies