- 8.4.5.1 Elements of MySQL Enterprise Audit
- 8.4.5.2 Installing or Uninstalling MySQL Enterprise Audit
- 8.4.5.3 MySQL Enterprise Audit Security Considerations
- 8.4.5.4 Audit Log File Formats
- 8.4.5.5 Configuring Audit Logging Characteristics
- 8.4.5.6 Reading Audit Log Files
- 8.4.5.7 Audit Log Filtering
- 8.4.5.8 Writing Audit Log Filter Definitions
- 8.4.5.9 Disabling Audit Logging
- 8.4.5.10 Legacy Mode Audit Log Filtering
- 8.4.5.11 Audit Log Reference
- 8.4.5.12 Audit Log Restrictions
MySQL Enterprise Audit is an extension included in MySQL Enterprise Edition, a commercial product. To learn more about commercial products, see https://www.mysql.com/products/.
MySQL Enterprise Edition includes MySQL Enterprise Audit, implemented using a server plugin named
audit_log
. MySQL Enterprise Audit uses the open MySQL Audit
API to enable standard, policy-based monitoring, logging, and
blocking of connection and query activity executed on specific
MySQL servers. Designed to meet the Oracle audit specification,
MySQL Enterprise Audit provides an out of box, easy to use auditing and
compliance solution for applications that are governed by both
internal and external regulatory guidelines.
When installed, the audit plugin enables MySQL Server to produce a log file containing an audit record of server activity. The log contents include when clients connect and disconnect, and what actions they perform while connected, such as which databases and tables they access. You can add statistics for the time and size of each query to detect outliers.
By default, MySQL Enterprise Audit uses tables in the mysql
system database for persistent storage of filter and user account
data. To use a different database, set the
audit_log_database
system
variable at server startup.
After you install the audit plugin (see
Section 8.4.5.2, “Installing or Uninstalling MySQL Enterprise Audit”), it writes an audit log
file. By default, the file is named audit.log
in the server data directory. To change the name of the file, set
the audit_log_file
system
variable at server startup.
By default, audit log file contents are written in new-style XML
format, without compression or encryption. To select the file
format, set the audit_log_format
system variable at server startup. For details on file format and
contents, see Section 8.4.5.4, “Audit Log File Formats”.
For more information about controlling how logging occurs, including audit log file naming and format selection, see Section 8.4.5.5, “Configuring Audit Logging Characteristics”. To perform filtering of audited events, see Section 8.4.5.7, “Audit Log Filtering”. For descriptions of the parameters used to configure the audit log plugin, see Audit Log Options and Variables.
If the audit log plugin is enabled, the Performance Schema (see Chapter 29, MySQL Performance Schema) has instrumentation for it. To identify the relevant instruments, use this query:
SELECT NAME FROM performance_schema.setup_instruments
WHERE NAME LIKE '%/alog/%';