Managing object revisions

This section contains information about object revision management. Kaspersky Security Center allows you to track object modification. Every time you save changes made to an object, a revision is created. Each revision has a number.

Application objects that support revision management include:

• Administration Servers
• Policies
• Tasks
• Administration groups
• User accounts
• Installation packages

You can perform the following actions on object revisions:

• Compare a selected revision to the current one
• Compare selected revisions
• Compare an object to a selected revision of another object of the same type
• View a selected revision
• Roll back changes made to an object to a selected revision
• Save revisions as a .txt file

In the properties window of any object that supports revision management, the Revision history section displays a list of object revisions with the following details:

• Object revision number
• Date and time the object was modified
• Name of the user who modified the object
• Action performed on the object
• Description of the revision related to the change made to the object settings

  By default, the object revision description is blank. To add a description to a revision, select the relevant revision and click the Description button. In the Object revision description window, enter some text for the revision description.

About object revisions

You can perform the following actions on object revisions:

• Compare a selected revision to the current one
• Compare selected revisions
• Compare an object to a selected revision of another object of the same type
• View a selected revision
• Roll back changes made to an object to a selected revision
• Save revisions as a .txt file

In the properties window of any object that supports revision management, the Revision history section displays a list of object revisions with the following details:

• Object revision number
• Date and time the object was modified
• Name of the user who modified the object
• Action performed on the object
• Description of the revision related to the change made to the object settings

Viewing the Revision history section

You can compare revisions of an object to the current revision, compare different revisions selected in the list, or compare a revision of an object to a revision of another object of the same type.

To view the Revision history section of an object:

1. In the console tree, select one of the following objects:
   • Administration Server node
   • Policies folder
   • Tasks folder
   • Folder of an administration group
   • User accounts folder
   • Deleted objects folder
   • Installation packages subfolder, which is nested in the Remote installation folder
2. Depending on the location of the relevant object, do one of the following:
   • If the object is in the Administration Server node or an administration group node, right-click the node and in the context menu select Properties.
   • If the object is in the Policies, Tasks, User accounts, Deleted objects, or Installation packages folder, select the folder, and in the corresponding workspace select the object.

   The object properties window opens.

3. In the left Sections pane, select Revision history.

The revision history is displayed in the workspace.

Comparing object revisions

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You can compare past revisions of an object to the current revision, compare different revisions selected in the list, or compare a revision of an object to a revision of another object of the same type.

To compare revisions of an object:

1. Select an object and proceed to the properties window of the object.
2. In the properties window, proceed to the Revision history section.
3. In the workspace, in the list of object revisions select the revision for comparison.

   To select more than one revision of the object, use the Shift and Ctrl keys.

4. Do one of the following:
   • Click the Compare split button and select one of the values in the drop-down list:
     • Compare to current revision

       Select this option to compare the selected revision to the current one.

     • Compare selected revisions

       Select this option to compare two selected revisions.

     • Compare to another task

       If you work with task revisions, select Compare to another task to compare the selected revision to a revision of another task.

       If you work with policy revisions, select Compare to another policy to compare the selected revision to a revision of another policy.

   • Double-click the name of a revision, and in the revision properties window that opens click one of the following buttons:
     • Compare to current

       Click this button to compare the selected revision to the current one.

     • Compare to previous

       Click this button to compare the selected revision to the previous one.

A report in HTML format about comparison of the revisions is displayed in your default browser.

In this report, you can minimize some of the sections containing revision settings. To minimize a section with object revision settings, click the arrow icon () next to the section name.

Administration Server revisions include all details of changes made, except for details from the following areas:

• Traffic section
• Tagging rules section
• Notification section
• Distribution points section
• Virus outbreak section

  No information is recorded, from the Virus outbreak section, about the configuration of policy activation that occurs when a Virus outbreak event is triggered.

You can compare revisions of a deleted object to a revision of an existing object, but not the reverse: you cannot compare revisions of an existing object to a revision of a deleted object.

Setting storage term for object revisions and for deleted object information

The storage term for object revisions and for information about deleted objects is the same. The default storage term is 90 days. This is enough time for the regular audit of the program.

Only users with Modify permission in the Deleted objects area can change the storage period.

To change the storage term for object revisions and for information about deleted objects:

1. In the console tree, select the Administration Server for which you want to change the storage period.
2. Right-click and in the context menu select Properties.
3. In the Administration Server properties window that opens, in the Revision history repository section enter the desired storage term (the number of days).
4. Click OK.

The object revisions and information about deleted objects will be stored for the number of days that you entered.

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Viewing an object revision

If you need to know which modifications were made to an object over a certain period of time, you can view the revisions of this object.

To view the revisions of an object:

1. Proceed to the Revision history section of the object.
2. In the list of object revisions, select the revision whose settings you want to view.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Click the View revision button.
   • Open the revision properties window by double-clicking the revision name, and then clicking the View revision button.

A report in HTML format with the settings of the selected object revision is displayed. In this report, you can minimize some of the sections with object revision settings. To minimize a section with object revision settings, click the arrow icon () next to the section name.

Saving an object revision to a file

You can save an object revision as a text file, for example, in order to send it by email.

To save an object revision to a file:

1. Proceed to the Revision history section of the object.
2. In the list of revisions of an object, select the one whose settings you have to save.
3. Click the Advanced button and select the Save to file value in the drop-down list.

The revision is now saved as a .txt file.

Rolling back changes

You can roll back changes made to an object, if necessary. For example, you may have to revert the settings of a policy to their state on a specific date.

To roll back changes made to an object:

1. Proceed to the Revision history section of the object.
2. In the list of object revisions, select the number of the revision to which you have to roll back changes.
3. Click the Advanced button and select the Roll back value in the drop-down list.

The object is now rolled back to the selected revision. The list of object revisions displays a record of the action that was taken. The revision description displays information about the number of the revision to which you reverted the object.

Adding a revision description

You can add a description for the revision to simplify the search for revisions in the list.

To add a description for a revision:

1. Proceed to the Revision history section of the object.
2. In the list of object revisions, select the revision for which you need to add a description.
3. Click the Description button.
4. In the Object revision description window, enter some text for the revision description.

   By default, the object revision description is blank.

5. Click OK.