Differences between change log capacity in Security Cloud Control and size of an exported change log

Change log capacity differences are data storage variations that

  • distinguish between the complete change log information stored in Security Cloud Control's database and the subset of information included in exported files

  • result from different storage requirements for database operations versus export functionality, and

  • affect file sizes when users export change log data.

Change log storage structure

For every change log, Security Cloud Control stores two copies of the device's configuration–the starting configuration and either the ending configuration in the case of a closed change log or the current configuration in the case of an open change log. This allows Security Cloud Control to display configuration differences side by side. In addition, Security Cloud Control tracks and stores every step (change event) with the username that made the change, the time the change was made, and other details.

However, when you export the change log, the export does not include the two complete copies of the configuration. It only includes the change events, which makes the export file much smaller than the change log that Security Cloud Control stores.

Security Cloud Control stores change log information for a year. This includes two copies of the configuration.