Auditing a User-built Database on ECS

Scenario

Assume you have created a database on Elastic Cloud Server (ECS). Table 1 describes its details. You need to locate and track internal violations and improper operations in the database to meet compliance requirements. This section describes how to install an agent on the database, enable the database audit function, and check audit results.

Limitations and Constraints

• Disable SSL for a database before auditing it.
• The database audit instance and the database to be audited must be in the same region.
• For connection purposes, ensure the VPC of the database audit instance is the same as that of the agent node.

  For details about how to choose the node, see How Do I Determine Where to Install an Agent?

Step 1: Purchase Database Audit

Configure and purchase the database audit service. For details, see Purchasing Database Audit.

For connection purposes, ensure the VPC of the database audit instance is the same as that of the agent node.

For details about how to choose the node, see How Do I Determine Where to Install an Agent?

Step 2: Add a Database and Enable Audit

After purchasing database audit, add the example database to the database audit instance and enable the database audit function for the database.

1. Log in to the management console.
2. Select a region, click , and choose Security & Compliance > Database Security Service. The Dashboard page is displayed.
3. In the navigation pane, choose Databases.
4. Select an instance from the Instance drop-down list. Click Add Database.
5. In the displayed dialog box, set database parameters described in Table 1, as shown in Figure 2.
   Figure 2 Add Database dialog box
   

6. Click OK. The database will be displayed in the database list and its Audit Status will be Disabled.
7. In the Operation column of the database, click Enable.

Step 3: Add an Agent

1. In the Agent column of the database, click Add, as shown in Figure 3.
   Figure 3 Adding an agent
   

2. In the displayed dialog box, select an addition mode.
   Figure 4 Adding an agent to a database
   

3. Click OK.

Step 4: Add a Security Group Rule

1. Obtain the IP address of the installation node.
2. On the Databases page, click Add Security Group Rule.
3. In the dialog box that is displayed, check and make a note of the security group of the database audit instance, for example, default.
   Figure 5 Adding a security group rule
   

4. Click Go to VPC. The Security Groups page will be displayed.
5. Enter the security group name default in the search box in the upper right corner of the list, and click or press Enter. The group information is displayed in the list.
6. Click default. The Summary tab will be displayed.
7. On the Inbound Rules tab, click Add Rule.
8. In the Add Inbound Rule dialog box, add TCP (port number 8000) and UDP protocols (port number from 7000 to 7100) for the installing node IP address.
9. Click OK.

Step 5: Install an Agent

Download the agent package and install it on the required node. A database can be audited only after it is connected to a database audit instance.

Each agent has a unique ID, which is used as the key for connecting to a database audit instance. If you delete an agent and add it back, you need to download and install the agent again.

1. Log in to the DBSS management console.
2. In the navigation pane, choose Databases.
3. In the Instance drop-down list, select an instance.
4. Click next to the instance to expand agent details. In the Operation column, click Download Agent. See Figure 6.
   The agent installation package will be downloaded to your local PC.

   Figure 6 Downloading an agent
   

5. Use a cross-platform transmission tool (for example, WinSCP) to upload the downloaded agent installation package xxx.tar to the node specified by Installing Node IP Address in Figure 6.
6. Log in to the node as user root by using a cross-platform remote access tool (for example, PuTTY) via SSH.
7. Run the following command to access the directory where the agent installation package xxx.tar is stored:
8. cd Agent_installation_package_directory
9. Run the following command to decompress the installation package xxx.tar:
10. tar -xvf xxx.tar
11. Run the following command to go to the directory in which the install.sh script is stored:
12. cd install.sh_script_directory
13. Run the following command to install the agent:
14. sh install.sh
15. If the following information is displayed, the agent has been installed successfully:

    1 2 3 4 5

    start agent starting audit agent audit agent started start success install dbss audit agent done!

Step 6: Verify the Communication Between the Agent and the Database Audit Instance

Check to ensure the communication between the agent and the database audit instance is normal.

1. Run an SQL statement or perform an operation on the database (for example, Select 1;) on the node where the agent is installed.
2. In the navigation pane, choose Dashboard.
3. In the Instance drop-down list, select the instance whose slow SQL statement information you want to view.
4. Click the Statements tab.
5. The SQL statement list displays the record of database login.

   If no SQL statement is displayed, check your network connection. For details, see What Should I Do If the Communication Between the Agent and Database Audit Instance Is Abnormal?

Step 7: View Audit Results

You can check audit results on the Dashboard page, or generate, preview, or download reports.

1. Check overview information.

   In the navigation pane, choose Dashboard.

   The Dashboard page displays the audit duration, total number of SQL statements and risks, statements and risks today, and today's sessions of an instance.

   You can click the Statements or Sessions tab to view session distribution.

2. Generate, download, or preview reports.
   1. In the navigation pane, choose Reports.
   2. Select an instance from the Instance drop-down list. Click the Report Management tab.
   3. In the Operation column of a report template, click Generate Report.
   4. In the displayed dialog box, click to set the start time and end time of the report, and select the database for which you want to generate a report.
   5. Click OK.

      See Figure 7.

      

      To preview a report online, use Google Chrome or Mozilla FireFox.

      Figure 7 Previewing or downloading an audit report