Search Results fnd_audit_columns




Overview
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Overview

The FND_AUDIT_COLUMNS table is a core repository object within the Application Object Library (FND) module of Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS). It serves as the central configuration table for column-level auditing, defining which specific columns within an application table are subject to audit tracking when their data changes. Its role is integral to the EBS auditing framework, working in conjunction with other FND_AUDIT_* tables to enable fine-grained, selective auditing of business data. By registering columns in this table, administrators can control the audit scope, ensuring that only critical data elements are monitored, which optimizes performance and storage compared to auditing entire tables.

Key Information Stored

The table's structure is defined by its composite primary key, which uniquely identifies an audited column within a specific audit context. The key columns are TABLE_APP_ID (the application ID of the table), TABLE_ID (the internal ID of the table being audited), COLUMN_ID (the internal ID of the column being audited), and SCHEMA_ID (a reference to the audit schema defining the audit session and other high-level attributes). This design allows the same physical column in a base table to be included in multiple different audit schemas with potentially different settings. The table primarily stores this relational metadata, linking an audit schema to the specific table and column identifiers from the EBS data dictionary.

Common Use Cases and Queries

The primary use case is the administration and investigation of configured audit trails. A common operational query is to list all columns currently being audited for a specific table, which is essential for validating audit setup or troubleshooting missing audit records. For example, to audit the PER_ALL_PEOPLE_F table, one might join FND_AUDIT_COLUMNS with FND_TABLES and FND_COLUMNS to translate internal IDs to recognizable names. Another critical use case is generating reports for compliance, which often requires joining this table with the actual audit transaction tables (like FND_AUDIT_SCHEMAS and FND_AUDIT_TABLES) to provide context for the captured change data. Developers may also query this table programmatically within custom procedures to conditionally execute logic based on whether a particular field is audited.

Related Objects

FND_AUDIT_COLUMNS maintains documented foreign key relationships with two other central FND tables, forming the backbone of the auditing subsystem.

  • FND_COLUMNS: The foreign key on columns (TABLE_APP_ID, TABLE_ID, COLUMN_ID) references FND_COLUMNS. This relationship ensures that only columns registered in the EBS data dictionary can be selected for auditing, providing metadata like the column name.
  • FND_AUDIT_SCHEMAS: The foreign key on SCHEMA_ID references FND_AUDIT_SCHEMAS.SCHEMA_ID. This ties the audited column to a specific audit schema, which defines the overall audit session, user, and timing context for the captured changes.

Furthermore, FND_AUDIT_COLUMNS is a parent table to FND_AUDIT_TABLES (via TABLE_APP_ID and TABLE_ID) and is critically referenced by the transaction audit tables that store the actual old and new values, such as FND_AUDIT_VALUES.