Epicor Kinetic · Security
Epicor Kinetic Change Log: track field changes without hurting performance
Applies to: Epicor Kinetic and Epicor ERP 10.2. Validate Data Directives and audit log reporting in Pilot before enabling in Production.
Short answer
Epicor Kinetic's Change Log lets you audit field-level changes on master and transactional records. Use it on sensitive fields (for example credit limits, terms, bank details and standard costs). Do not turn it on for high-volume transaction tables like PartTran or TranGLC, because the audit records will bloat your database and slow processing.
How it works
In Data Directive Maintenance, an In-Transaction Data Directive can be configured to write changes to Ice.ChgLog (key columns: TableName, DateStamped, LogNum, UserID, Key1, Key2, Key3, and LogText). When a tracked field changes, Kinetic appends a row recording who changed it, when, and the old and new values in LogText. Key1 through Key3 identify the record, with composite keys formatted as tilde-delimited strings in Key2.
What to audit vs what to avoid
- Good candidates: Customer (CreditLimit, CreditHold, TermsCode), Vendor (BankAcctNumber, TermsCode), Order Header (OrderHeld, terms, discount), Part Cost (standard cost buckets).
- High risk: PartTran, TranGLC, JobOper, and other transaction tables that write thousands of rows a day. They already form an audit trail; duplicating them in Ice.ChgLog adds table bloat, slows posting, and causes lock contention.
How to set it up
- Open Data Directive Maintenance.
- Select the table (for example Customer).
- Create an In-Transaction Data Directive with a condition evaluating whether the chosen fields have changed (ttTable vs dbTable).
- Connect the condition to a "Write to Change Log" action widget, selecting only the specific audited fields. Avoid selecting "All Fields".
- Test in Pilot, and confirm a row is written when you change an audited field and not written when you change an untracked field.
Reporting on Ice.ChgLog
- Always filter by TableName and DateStamped. An unindexed query across Ice.ChgLog scans the whole audit history of the company.
- Key columns are character-typed (nvarchar). When joining to integer keys (such as CustNum or OrderNum), convert the integer side to nvarchar to preserve index seeks.
- On-premises SQL can query Ice.ChgLog directly; cloud users should build a BAQ with the same filtering logic.
Managing growth
Audit tables only grow. Kinetic provides a Purge Change Log routine under System Management. Schedule purges for non-regulated tables according to your retention policy, and archive first if subject to statutory audit rules.
FAQ
Can users see history in the screen?
Yes, on forms configured for auditing, users can view change history via the screen overflow menu (...) > Change Log, provided their security group permits access.
Does DMT trigger change logs?
Yes, because DMT runs through the business objects. If you are doing a large migration, discuss temporarily disabling change-log directives with your lead.
Does it record views?
No. Change Log tracks changes, not who opened or read a record.