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File System Auditor™ - Frequently Asked Questions

• What is File System Auditor?
  • As the name implies, File System Auditor is a unique auditing solution that monitors the use of files and folders on a file system in real-time and centrally stores a record of each occurrence in a central database.


• I use native windows auditing of the file system already.
    Why do I need File System Auditor?
  • Native auditing of the file system cannot provide you with a simplified centralized view of file system events enterprise-wide along with reporting and email notifications.
    See the comparison matrix for more detail.


• Will I see tens or hundreds of entries with File System Auditor like I do
    with native auditing?
  • No. File System Auditor uses Intelligent Auditing technology to make sense of file system events to yield a single entry in the auditing database.
    
    
• How much bandwidth does FSA use?
  • That depends on how much file activity occurs on your file server! The first time a file is accessed, FSA will store an average of around 100 bytes of data in the database. For future accesses FSA will typically store 10-20 bytes. The total amount of data sent by FSA’s collection agent will increase with the number of users that access the server and the number of unique files they use. The only way to find out is to download the free evaluation version and try it for yourself!
    
    
• How CPU load will the FSA agent require on my file server?
  • Most of our customers have found that the FSA agent uses 1% or less of their available CPU resources. For underpowered file servers, or where the FSA agent has a backlog of events to store (e.g. after a lost connection to the SQL Server) then it might temporarily spike higher – typically to not more than 20% for a few seconds.
    
    
• Is File System Auditor another "snapshot" based auditing solution?
  • No. File System Auditor monitors file system activity in real-time to ensure each and every event that occurs is recorded for a truly auditable trail. Snapshot-based auditing solutions can only show you the sum of all the changes since the last snapshot and not each individual event that occurred.


• Does File System Auditor help with meeting compliance standards?
  • YES. File System Auditor applies to all regulatory and best practice standards that require protecting sensitive information (such as patient, financial or customer data). See the Compliance Matrix to see where File System Auditor assist in compliance.


• How does File System Auditor work?
  • File System Auditor is implemented as a file system driver, ensuring it does not miss any file system events. When files and/or folders are accessed for any reason (read, rename, delete, etc), File System Auditor’s driver is a part of the process, allowing it to monitor and record all actions taken upon a file system.


• What are the system requirements?
  • File System Auditor requires Windows Server™ 2000 SP4 with Update Rollup 1, or Windows Server™ 2003 with SP1.

ScriptLogic Product Maintenance

• What do I get with Standard Support, Extended Support or Maintenance?
  • For a full statement of ScriptLogic’s Support and Maintenance offerings,  please click here

File System Auditor licensing

• For more information on File System Auditor licensing, see the Licensing FAQs page.