Document Tracking Settings

In this topic:

Configure Computers

Customize Document Tracking settings from the Document Tracking panel of the Deployment Utility or from Client Settings after the Client is installed. The settings allow you to enable or disable Document Tracking and expand or limit tracking by drive or document activity.

Enable Document Tracking

If you make no other settings, the default settings remain in effect: you will track ALL activity on drives detected to be DVD/CD-ROM or Removable Media drives (the Default Tracking).

Enable Document Tracking - Check to record document activity and allow other options to be set. Once you enable Document Tracking you can choose how much activity to track on each drive available to the Client. Clear the checkbox to disable Document Tracking.

Drive Tracking Settings

The next set of options allow you to choose what to track on each drive. By default, the Client uses Default Tracking on every drive, which basically tracks activity only if the drive is removable or CD/DVD media. You can override the default settings by choosing no tracking or custom tracking.

Local Hard Drive Tracking

Enabling Document Tracking on a local hard drive can generate an enormous amount of data (Windows file operations) and potentially slow the performance of the monitored computer. Use tracking on a local hard drive ONLY with a file filter to limit folders and files tracked.

Drive - Select the letter drive where you want to change settings from the drop-down list (A: REMOVABLE). When you select a drive and change settings, the changes affect ONLY the currently selected drive. A drive can be:

Local - Attached to the computer
Network - At a different network location
Removable - The drive media can be removed
CDROM - CD or DVD media or some other type.

Do Not Track - Turn OFF Document Tracking for the currently selected drive. All tracking choices are dimmed.
Use Default Tracking - Continue to record the currently selected drive using the default settings. All tracking choices are dimmed. Click the Default Tracking button to view settings applied to all drives that use this option.

Use Custom Tracking - Pick and choose what type of activity to record on the currently selected drive. Enables the remaining tracking choices for the currently selected Drive.
Default Tracking button - Click this button to open a box showing the default tracking settings.

Any file device is associated with a drive letter A: - Z:, or is mapped or directly accessed using a Universal Naming Convention (UNC) specification. Some local and network drive mappings are static (such as a C: local drive or a share S: network drive); other drive mappings will change. Leave default Document Tracking enabled for any drive that may be temporarily mapped to a removable USB memory device.

Track Creating New Files - Check to capture information about any new file created on the currently selected drive. Clear to omit tracking new files.
Track Writing to Existing Files - Check to capture every time an existing file is opened for writing. A user may open a file for reading or writing or both. An event of this type can mean a file was changed, or it can mean it was simply opened and closed. Clear this option to omit tracking files opened for writing.
Track Deleting Files - Check to capture every time an existing file is deleted from the currently selected drive. This is useful if files are missing and you want to know who deleted them, and when. Clear this option to omit tracking file deletions.
Track Renaming Files - Check to capture information when an existing file is renamed. This can be helpful if you are trying to track a file through the system. Many applications will create temporary files while you are editing an original file. When you are done editing, the original file gets deleted and the temporary file gets renamed. This kind of event would indicate a change to the file.

For example:

For a common network drive where sensitive or reference documents reside, you might select "Use Custom Tracking" and check all forms of tracking to scrutinize the interaction of each user with these documents.

File Name Filter

The File Name Filter applies to tracking on ALL drives. To limit recordings or to focus in on specific documents, you can filter activity to record by file name. Include or exclude files to record on any drive by specifying their source path, file name, and extension. It's possible to create a list of documents to include or exclude.

To set a file name filter:

Click Include to include a list of files to track.
Click Exclude to track all documents except for a list of files.
Click the Add button to display the File Filter dialog box.
In the box, enter a filename or a combination of wildcards with path specification and/or file type. See Document Tracking File Filter for complete rules.
Click OK to add the filter to the list.

Select a filter from the list and click Delete to remove it.

Other: Printing and CD/DVD Recording

The last two settings have more to do with the Client's general Windows operations than a particular drive.

Track Printed Documents - Check this option to record all documents submitted to the Windows print spooler to be printed. The name of the print job usually includes the job owner, number, size, time submitted and date. Clear the option to omit tracking printed documents.
Track WinXP CD/DVD Burning (IMAPI) - Check this option to record files being written to a CD/DVD device if the application is using Windows IMAPI (Image Mastering Applications Programming Interface). The Client will NOT be able to record disc burning on CD/DVD devices from older applications that use their own proprietary interface for writing a CD/DVD.