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️ Updated Oct 16, 2026Contents
1. Introduction
This guide helps you to install, configure, and manage the Lepide Data Security Platform for File Server. The solution provides a comprehensive means of auditing Windows File Servers and NetApp Filers (both 7-Mode and Cluster Mode).
If you have any questions at any point in the process, you can contact our Support Team. The contact details are listed at the end of this document.
2. Requirements and Prerequisites
Before you start installing the Lepide Data Security Platform for File Server, make sure that your computer meets the requirements and prerequisites. Please refer to the Windows File Server Quick Start Guide or the NetApp Quick Start Guide for information on what these requirements are.
3. Required User Rights
To install and work with Lepide, you need to have appropriate rights to the system where it will be installed. You will also need to have appropriate rights to access Active Directory, SQL Server, Windows File System, and NetApp Filer.For more information please refer to the Prerequisites and Installation Guide.
4. Install the Lepide Data Security Platform
To install the Lepide Data Security Platform, please refer to the Prerequisites and Installation Guide.
5. Configure Service Credentials
For information on how to configure service credentials, please refer to the Prerequisites and Installation Guide.
6. Add Windows File Server with Advanced Configuration
6.1 Service Rights
A Windows File Server can be audited with minimum permissions given to the Lepide Service Account. Please refer to our Principle of Least Privilege Guide to know the rights required for the service account.
After you have installed the software and configured Lepide service to run with the service account, you can add a File Server for auditing.
From the Component Management window, under the Add Component section, click on the File Server icon to add this component to the solution.
The Settings Console dialog box is displayed:
Here, you can click Add File Server icon 
on the toolbar to add any of the following file servers:
Windows File Server
NetApp 7-Mode
NetApp Cluster Mode
EMC Server
Nasuni Server
Nutanix Server
Click the Add File Server icon,
select Single then select Windows.
The Add File Server wizard starts:
Enter the name or IP Address of the server along with its Domain or Workgroup name.
Instead of typing manually, you can click Add button to scan the domain network and select the required file server.
You can select the Domain name in the drop-down menu or type its name.
Click the Find button to list its computers in the blank area.
Select the computer you want to audit and click OK.
It takes you back to the previous wizard, which now displays the selected File Server.Cluster Name/IP: If you are using Windows Failover Cluster Configuration, then you will need to add all the nodes of the cluster separately in the solution as individual file servers. The reports will be visible under the Section of the active node in the solution.
Please add the cluster IP or Name here for scanning the permissions of the shares on a cluster.
You can use the default Admin$ location for the agent if the Service Account has admin rights on the File Server. If not, you can create any shared folder on the File Server and specify its path in the Share Path Option. The Service account should have at least Modify permission on this folder.
Select the user with which you want to add the File Server.
If you are logged in as a user that has the above rights, then you can select Current User.
If the logged in user does not have the required rights, then you have to select The following user option and provide the login credentials of a user who has the required rights.
After entering the details, click Next.
The next step is to provide the SQL Server details:
Type the Server Name or click Browse to select the desired SQL Server.
There are two authentication options:
Windows Authentication: In this method, you can use any domain user windows account which have at least dbcreator role on the SQL server.
SQL Server Authentication: Select this mode if SQL Server is installed on a remote machine or the local machine. We recommend that this option is selected.
Provide the username and password of an SQL User, which has sufficient rights to create a new database.
Please select Insert Audit Data Directly to Database from File Server as YES, only if the SQL connection from the File Server to the SQL Server is open. Please select NO if the connection is not open and the insertion will happen from the Application Server then.
Enter a database name in the database name field to create a new database. You can also select an existing database created by Lepide or another application.
Click Next to start installing the auditing agent for Windows File Server.
After the agent is installed, the following dialog box is displayed:
Click Finish to complete the process.
A dialog box is displayed asking whether you want to apply a rule to the newly added file server:
Audit Rule Management is explained in Section 9 of this document. Please refer to this for information on creating a rule.
7. Add NetApp Filer with Advanced Configuration
You can add NetApp 7-Mode and NetApp Cluster Mode for auditing.
7.1 Add NetApp 7-Mode
7.1.1 Prerequisites to Audit NetApp 7-Mode
Please refer to this section:https://www.lepide.com/knowledgebase/?page_id=3839950926&slug=prerequisites-and-requirements-netapp for information about Prerequisites. If you chose to setup the Netapp 7 mode manually, please make sure the following conditions are met:
You need to verify the settings on the NetApp Filer before installing the agent. Ensure that the httpd.admin.enable option is on. It is ON by default, but we still recommend you check it first before installing the agent.
Ensure that the NetApp Filer time is synced with the time on the agent system to get precise report timings.
In the Agent system GPO Settings, change the required settings as shown:
Follow the steps below to perform these settings:
Type gpmc.msc in Run or search in the Start Menu. Press the ENTER key to open Group Policy Management.
Under the forest, navigate to Domains, Local Domain, Default Policy.
Right-click on it and select Edit. The Group Policy Management Editor window opens.
Under the default domain policy, navigate to Computer Configuration, Policies, Windows Settings, Security Settings, Local Policies.
Click on Security Options. In this section, make the following policy settings:
Network Access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts, Disabled
Network Access: Do not allow anonymous enumeration of SAM accounts and shares, Disabled
Network Access: Do not allow storage of passwords and credentials for
network authentication, DisabledNetwork Access: Let Everyone permissions apply to anonymous users, Enabled
Double-click Network Access: Named pipes that can be accessed anonymously and select the checkbox to define policy settings. Type NTAPVSRQ and click Apply.
Network Access: Restrict anonymous access to Named Pipes and Shares, Disabled
7.1.2 Auditing Flow of NetApp 7-Mode
Please refer to Section 3 of the NetApp Quick Start Guide
Follow the steps below to add NetApp 7-Mode for auditing.
Click the Add File Server icon,
select Single then select NetApp 7-Mode.
The Add File Server wizard starts:
Either enter the name or IP Address of NetApp Filer Name manually or click Add to select a NetApp Filer from the network.
Here, you can select a domain name and click Find to list the available Filers in it.
Select a NetApp Filer and click OK.
After the required NetApp Filer is selected, enter the login credentials of a NetApp Administrator to add it.
Click Next to go to the next step, to provide the details of SQL Server to create a database for storing auditing logs.
Click the Server Name dropdown to select the desired SQL Server.
There are two authentication options under it.
Windows Authentication: This mode can be selected if SQL Server is installed on the same computer where the solution is installed.
SQL Server Authentication: Select this mode if SQL Server is installed on a remote or local computer. We recommend that this option is selected.
Provide the username and password of a SQL user, who has sufficient rights to create the database.
Enter a database name in the database name field to create a new database. You can also select an existing database created earlier by Lepide or another application.
Click Next
The NetApp Agent Information dialog box is displayed:
Enter the details of the system where you wish to install the agent to collect the changes from NetApp Filer.
NOTE: You can install the agent on another system apart from NetApp Filer. However, it is important to note that the agent can only be installed on any client system or the domain controller. We recommend that you do not to install it on workgroup computers and the agent is installed only on the connected Windows Computer and not on NetApp.
Enter the name or IP Address of the agent system.
Provide the Username and Password of an administrator of the agent system to allow access to the software to install the agent.
NOTE: The provided user should be a member of any one group out of Administrators, Domain Admins, Enterprise Admins, and Schema Admins groups, at the agent system, to enable the auditing of NetApp Filer. If the above rights are not assigned to the user, then follow the steps below.
Go to Administrative Tools.
Open Active Directory Users and Computers.
Select User Properties.
Go to Member Of, Add Group.
Select any of the following groups as per the above requirements.
Administrators
Domain Admins
Enterprise Admins
Schema Admins
Click Apply and OK
Now you need to choose the Connection Type. Lepide provides the following two types of connections with the NetApp Filer from the agent:
Asynchronous: This option is quick, but it cannot capture security details. It captures the security events but does not show details.
Synchronous: This option captures security details, but the process slightly slows down the performance of the Filer.
NOTE: If you need the Permission Analysis of NetApp Filer, we recommend using synchronous mode to connect to NetApp Filer.
Certain changes are required in the Local Security Policies to allow the software to audit Filers. The software provides a checkbox to make such changes automatically from its end.
If you do not want to go for automatic changes or face an error in applying these changes automatically, then uncheck this option and make these manually. To know more, refer to Section 7.1.1 Prerequisites to Audit NetApp 7-Mode.
Click the checkbox to make the changes automatically. The software displays the list of required changes in the next screen and reconfirms it.
Click Yes to make these changes and to install the agent.
If you click No, then the changes will not be made, but still, the agent will be installed. Because of no agent installation, the audit reports will not be generated in this case.
To generate the audit reports after clicking No, you have to make these changes manually. For further information, refer to Section 7.1.1 Prerequisites to Audit NetApp 7-Mode.
Click Finish to complete the process.
7.1.3 Add NetApp Cluster Mode
Follow the steps below to add NetApp Cluster Mode for auditing.
Click the Add File Server button on the toolbar and click NetApp Cluster Mode.
You can also click the 
icon in the Right Panel, go to NetApp Filer sub-menu and click the NetApp Cluster-Mode.
The Wizard to add NetApp Cluster Mode is displayed:
Add the following details:
Domain Name: Enter the name or IP Address of the domain, where the NetApp Cluster Mode is located, in the Domain text field.
User Name: Enter the name of a user, who is a member of Domain Admins group or a normal domain user account with at least Change Permissions to the C$ of the SVM which is to be audited.
Password: Enter the password of the selected user.
Click Next
The Add File Server dialog box is displayed:
Add the following details:
File Server Name/IP: Enter the name or IP Address of NetApp Filer.
User Name: Enter the name of a user, who has vsadmin role.
Password: Enter the password of the selected user.
Audit Configuration: Select either Manual Auditing or Automatic Auditing. Please refer to the following points to understand these two options further to make your selection:
7.1.3.1 Which Audit Configuration should be selected?
You can select the Automatic Auditing option to enable the auditing settings automatically without giving any user input. However, you should select Manual Auditing when you are doing any of the following:
receiving errors in enabling Automatic Auditing
wanting to allocate 2 GB to 3 GB (not less than 2 GB and not more than 3 GB) space to a volume for auditing
wanting to allocate more than 3 GB space to a volume for auditing
7.1.3.2 Prerequisites of Manual Auditing
Make sure that any existing manual auditing meets the following prerequisites:
Auditing should be enabled.
The minimum Log File Size (rotate-size) should be 1 MB.
The format of auditing should be XML.
The size of the selected volume should be at least 3 GB.
The rotate limit should be set to 2000.
7.1.3.3 Steps to Create Manual Auditing on NetApp Cluster Mode
If manual auditing does not exist already or does not meet the above prerequisites, you need to add and enable an Audit Setting manually on the selected Storage Virtual Machine (SVM).
To do this, perform the following steps:
Execute the following commands to configure auditing manually at NetApp Cluster Mode.
-destination"/<Name_Volume>"">vserver audit create -vserver <Name_SVM> -destination "/<Name_Volume>"
<XB>">-format XML -rotate-size <XX><XB>
Change the following values.
<Name_SVM> : Name of SVM
<Name_Volume> : Name of Volume
WARNING: The minimum size of the selected volume should be 3 GB.
<XX> : Value in numbers. It is the size of Log File.
<XB> : Measurement of the file size. It can be in KB, MB, GB, TB, or PB.
NOTE: The minimum Log File Size (rotate-size) must be 1MB.
After creating the auditing setting, you can execute the following command to view the auditing setting created for an SVM.
vserver audit show
Execute the following command to enable the auditing:
setting. vserver audit enable -vserver <Name_SVM>
Replace <Name_SVM> with the name of SVM.
After enabling the auditing setting, execute the following command to view the status of added auditing.
vserver audit show
Manual Auditing: In the Audit Configuration Section, click the Manual option to enable its options. If the manual auditing is already configured on the selected Storage Virtual Machine (SVM) and if it meets the above-listed prerequisites, you can click the Detect button to find and add it here.
NOTE: Old log files existing in the log volume generated before adding the file server in the solution will be moved to the Back Up folder in the log volume.
The following message box appears on the screen in this case:
Automatic Auditing: Select this option if you have not already configured auditing. You need to provide the following inputs:
Volume Name
Aggregate Name
Click Next to proceed. The Solution enables auditing with the following settings:
Log Volume Size :3 GB
Log format: XML
Log File Size: 1 MB
NOTE: The Lepide Data Security Platform needs at least 3 GB of free space at the selected aggregate to enable the auditing automatically.
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Click Next
The SQL Server Information dialog box is displayed. Here, you need to provide the details of SQL Server to create a database for storing auditing logs.
Click the Server Name dropdown to select the desired SQL Server.
There are two authentication options under it:
Windows Authentication: This mode can be selected if SQL Server is installed on the same computer where the solution is installed.
SQL Server Authentication: Select this mode if SQL Server is installed on a remote or local computer. We recommend that this option is selected.
Provide the username and password of a SQL user, who has sufficient rights to create the database.
Enter a database name in the database name field to create a new database. You can also select an existing database created earlier by Lepide or another application.
Click Next
The installation of the agent starts:
Click Finish to complete the process.
Steps after Adding a File Server Component
After you have added a Windows File System or NetApp Filer component, the application asks you if you want to create a new rule for File Server.
Click Yes to add a new rule.
NOTE: You need an Audit Rule to start monitoring of the newly added File Server. If you want to skip the step of creating a rule, then click No. However, the audit reports will not be generated until you create an Audit Rule and update the agent. It is necessary to Update Agent if you are creating or modifying an Audit Rule.
After the Audit Rule has been created, or you clicked No in above step, a dialog box appears on the screen:
Click OK. then close the File Server Auditor console and restart the software.
After the restart, the software displays the File Server in the Radar Tab and a node under Component Management in the Settings Tab.
You can click File Server node under Component Management to manage the added File Server.
Click the Click Here link to access the File Server Auditor console
8. Adding Multiple File Servers
You can now add multiple file servers to the solution in one step. Please follow the instructions below:
8.1 Adding Multiple Windows File Servers
After you have installed the software and configured the Lepide service to run with administrative credentials, you can add multiple File Servers for auditing in one step.
From the Component Management window, under the Add Component section, click on the File Server icon to add this component to the solution.
The Settings Console dialog box is displayed:
Here, you can click Add File Server icon 
on the toolbar to add either of the following file servers:
Windows File Server
NetApp Filer
Click the Add File Server icon,
select Multiple then select Windows.
The Add File Servers wizard starts:
Add From AD: Click on Add from AD button to scan the domain network and select the required file servers.
You can select the Domain name in the drop-down menu or type it in the box provided.
Click the Find button to list its computers in the blank area.
Select the computers you want to audit and click OK.
It takes you back to the previous wizard, which now displays the selected File Servers.
Add from OU: Click on the Add from OU button if you want to select the file servers from specific OUs.
Select the File Servers to be added and click OK. The following dialog box is displayed:
Here you can specify the following:
Current user or The following user
If you select The following user, you will need to specify the User Name in the format Domain\UserName and the Password
Check the Common Share and Logical Path box if you want to use this
Specify the share name – for example Admin$ and the Share Logical Path which will be C:\Windows for admin$
Click Next to continue
It takes you back to the previous wizard, which now displays the selected File Servers.
Add Manually: Click on the Add Manually button to add the file server manually into the solution by specifying its name and domain name.
Select the File Servers to be added and click OK. The following dialog box is displayed:
Specify the options you require.
Click Next to continue
It takes you back to the previous wizard, which now displays the selected File Servers.Add IP Range: Click on Add IP Range button to scan the domain network and select the required file servers.
Type the Domain/Workgroup name and the IP Start and Stop Addresses.
Click OK. The following dialog box is displayed:
Specify the options you require.
Click Next to continue
It takes you back to the previous wizard, which now displays the selected File Servers.
Add From CSV: Click on Add from CSV button to scan the domain network and select the required file servers.
Click Browse to select the CSV file required
Click OK. The following dialog box is displayed:
Specify the options you require.
Click Next to continue
It takes you back to the previous wizard, which now displays the selected File Servers.
Select the user with which you want to add the File Server If you are logged in as a user that has the above rights, then you can select Current User.
If the logged in user does not have the required rights, then you have to select The following user option and provide the login credentials of a user who has the required rights
You can use the default Admin$ location for the agent if the Service Account has admin rights on the File Server. If not, you can create any shared folder on the File Server and specify its path in the Share Path Option.
Click Apply to All to apply these settings to all selected file servers.
After entering the details, click Next.
The next step is to provide the SQL Server details:
Type the Server Name or click Browse to select the desired SQL Server.
There are two authentication options:
Windows Authentication: In this method, you can use any domain user windows account which have at least dbcreator role on the SQL server.
SQL Server Authentication: Select this mode if SQL Server is installed on a remote machine or the local machine. We recommend that this option is selected.
Provide the username and password of an SQL User, which has sufficient rights to create a new database.
Please select Insert Audit Data Directly to Database from File Server as YES, only if the SQL connection from the File Server to the SQL Server is open. Please select NO if the connection is not open and the insertion will happen from the Application Server then.
Enter a database name in the database name field to create a new database. You can also select an existing database created by Lepide or another application.
Click Next to start installing the auditing agent for Windows File Servers.
The following dialog box is displayed showing the progress of agent installation.
Click Finish once the agents are installed to complete the process.
A dialog box is displayed asking whether you want to apply a rule to the newly added file server:
Audit Rule Management is explained later in this document. Please refer to this for information on creating a rule.
8.2 Adding Multiple NetApp 7 Mode File Servers
After you have installed the software and configured Lepide service to run with administrative credentials, you can add multiple File Servers for auditing in one step.
From the Component Management window, under the Add Component section, click on the File Server icon to add this component to the solution.
The Settings Console dialog box is displayed:
Click the Add File Server icon,
select Multiple then select NetApp 7-Mode.
The Add File Servers wizard starts:
From this screen, you can add the file servers. Click the button to select where the file server should be added from. The options are: Add from AD, Add from OU, Add Manually, Add IP Range, Add from CSV..
Enter the File Server Name or IP
Click Add
Repeat the two steps for all File Servers you want to add
Click OK when finished adding file servers
Click Next
The next step is to provide the SQL Server details:
Type the Server Name or click Browse to select the desired SQL Server.
There are two authentication options:
Windows Authentication: In this method, you can use any domain user windows account which have at least dbcreator role on the SQL server.
SQL Server Authentication: Select this mode if SQL Server is installed on a remote machine or the local machine. We recommend that this option is selected.
Provide the username and password of an SQL User, which has sufficient rights to create a new database.
Please select Insert Audit Data Directly to Database from File Server as YES, only if the SQL connection from the File Server to the SQL Server is open. Please select NO if the connection is not open and the insertion will happen from the Application Server then.
Enter a database name in the database name field to create a new database. You can also select an existing database created by Lepide or another application.
Click Next
Enter the Agent Server Details and click Next
The status dialog box will be displayed showing the status of the installation of each agent:
Click Finish to complete the process.
A dialog box is displayed asking whether you want to apply a rule to the newly added file server:
Audit Rule Management is explained in Section 9 of this document. Please refer to this for information on creating a rule.
8.3 Adding Multiple NetApp Cluster File Servers
After you have installed the software and configured Lepide service to run with administrative credentials, you can add multiple File Servers for auditing in one step.
From the Component Management window, under the Add Component section, click on the File Server icon to add this component to the solution.
The Settings Console dialog box is displayed:
Here, you can click Add File Server icon 
on the toolbar to add either of the following file servers:
Windows File Server
NetApp Filer
Click the Add File Server icon,
select Multiple then select NetApp Cluster Mode.
The Add File Servers wizard starts:
From this screen, you can add the file servers. Click the button to select where the file server should be added from. The options are: Add from AD, Add from OU, Add Manually, Add IP Range, Add from CSV.
Enter the File Server Name or IP
Click Add
Repeat the two steps for all File Servers you want to add
Click OK when finished adding file servers
The dialog box above will be displayed listing the file servers to be added
Click OK
Click Next
Alternatively, you can check the Agent IP box and you will need to then add the Agent IP address:
Add the NetApp file information as follows:
Username: This should be a domain user account with at least CHANGE permission on the C$ of the SVM.
Agent IP: This is the IP address where the auditing agent will be installed. By default, it is installed on the local application server. Select this option only if you want to install the agent on a different machine.
Management Access: Check this box if the Management Access to the Network Interface is allowed. In this mode, the solution will do the configuration on the NetApp automatically. Keep the box unchecked if you are using the Least Privilege Model.
Management Access Credentials: Add the username and password with vsadmin role on the Netapp.
Audit Configuration:
Manual: Enter the name of the Audit Log Volume which has been created manually if the Least Privilege Model is used.
Automatic: Select this option if the Full Privilege Model is being used and Management Access is enabled. Enter the Volume Name and the Aggregate Name in the boxes.
Apply to All: Click this option to apply the same settings to all the NetApp Cluster Mode filers.
The next step is to provide the SQL Server details:
Type the Server Name or click Browse to select the desired SQL Server.
There are two authentication options:
Windows Authentication: In this method, you can use any domain user windows account which have at least dbcreator role on the SQL server.
SQL Server Authentication: Select this mode if SQL Server is installed on a remote machine or the local machine. We recommend that this option is selected.
Provide the username and password of an SQL User, which has sufficient rights to create a new database.
Please select Insert Audit Data Directly to Database from File Server as YES, only if the SQL connection from the File Server to the SQL Server is open. Please select NO if the connection is not open and the insertion will happen from the Application Server then.
Enter a database name in the database name field to create a new database. You can also select an existing database created by Lepide or another application.
Click Next
The status dialog box will be displayed showing the status of the installation of each agent:
Click Finish to complete the process.
A dialog box is displayed asking whether you want to apply a rule to the newly added file server:
Audit Rule Management is explained later in this document. Please refer to this for information on creating a rule.
9. Audit Rule Management
After you have added the File Server to the application, you must create an audit rule for that File Server. In the audit rule, you can base your auditing on:
Objects such as Directories, Drives, Events, Files, Monitoring Time, and Processes that you want to audit.
Users/ User Groups actions which you want to audit.
9.1 Create Audit Rule
Follow the steps below to create a new Audit Rule. If you have selected Yes in the last step of the Add File Server Wizard, the Add Rule to the File Server wizard starts automatically.
Alternatively, you can navigate to the Audit Rules section in the left pane and click the 
icon in the Select Rule section of the right pane to start this wizard:
Enter a rule name and select the File Server for which you want to create the rule if it is not already selected in the File Servers drop-down menu.
You can select multiple file servers to apply the audit rule.
Click Next. The audit policies dialog box is displayed:
Select the policy type from the following options:
Lepide allows you to link an Audit policy to both a User and a User Group.
Individual User Policy: Data will be collected as per the specified users only. Data will not be collected if the changes are made by other users, who are not listed.
Group Policy: Data will be collected as per the Group's policy no matter which User of the Group has logged in. This means that the policy associated with the user will be overridden by the group's policy.
A few possible scenarios are listed below:
Four users have been added. Each of them belongs to the same group and they have the same or different audit policy. In this example, if you select Individual User Policy, the audit data will be collected as per each user's policy.
Four users have been added. Each of them belongs to different groups, and they have the same or different audit policy. In this example, if you select Individual User Policy, the audit data will be collected as per each user's policy.
Four users have been added. Each of them belongs to same group, and they have the same or different audit policy. In this example, if you select Group Policy, the audit data will be collected as per that group's policy.
Four users have been added. Each of them belongs to different groups, and they have same or different audit policy. In this example if you select Group Policy, the audit data will be collected as per the policy applied on the group of each user.
Selecting Individual User policy and Group Policy will not generate a report here as we have not yet created any User Group in the application. These policies can be selected only if you have pre-defined groups in the application.
Selected Policy: This has four options available. The first three are pre-defined policies while the fourth one can be configured:
Audit All: Audit all File and Folder accesses to the File Server
Audit Shares Only: Audit only shared files and folders.
Audit all but Shares: Audit all File and Folder accesses except shared files and folders.
Create New Policy: Create new policy where you can define what Objects you want to audit.
NOTE: In this example, we are creating an audit rule with predefined policy. To create an auditing rule with a user- configured policy refer to the Create Audit Policy section in this Guide.
For this example, we will select the Audit All policy:
Click Next
Select any of the following options to define the users:
All users: The selected rule will be applicable to all users.
Include Selected Users: The rule will be applicable to the selected users only. Other users will be excluded from the rule.
Exclude Selected Users: The rule will not be applicable to the selected users, but it will be applied to all other users.
Selecting Include Selected Users or Exclude Selected Users enables the next section. Follow the steps below to add the selected users.
To add the selected or all users.
Click the Add User button.
If no user is listed here, then it means that no user group has been created in the Solution. Refer to the Add User Group section in this Guide to follow the steps to create a user group.
You can also click the Add User button here to create a new user group and add the user to it.
After adding and listing the users you can check the boxes of the users to include them and uncheck others to exclude them.
Click OK to go back to the previous wizard which now shows the list of selected users.
Click the Add Group button to add the group.
If no group is listed here, then it means that you have not added a group. Refer to Section 11 Add User Group to know more. You can also click Add new user group list button to add a new group.
Select the group and click OK. It takes you to the Add Rule wizard, which now shows the list of users added from the selected group.
You can select any user here and click the Remove button to remove a user from the list.
The rule is applied to all users in this test case.
Click Next
The Summary box is displayed:
Click Finish to complete the process. The newly added audit rule is displayed in the list.
Click Update Agent on all File Servers to apply new Settings notification and follow the on-screen instructions to update the agent.
NOTE: It is necessary to update the agent each time you change the applied Audit Rule. If this is not done, the auditing will not be updated, and the reports will not include the new modifications when generated.
After you have created the auditing rules, go to the Audit Reports tab in the main panel to view the reports.
9.1.1 Common Issues with Reports
If you cannot view the reports after doing the configuration, try the following:
Navigate the root node of the File Server Console, which displays the list of all added File Servers. Here, you must check if the agent on File Server is properly installed and working. For the selected File Server, Agent Status should be Installed and Auditing Status should be started.
If the agent status is not installed, then install the agent and start the auditing. If the auditing status is stopped, but agent status is installed, then you should start the auditing.
If the agent is properly installed, check whether the Rule and Policy have been properly applied. Check the Rule Name (box should be filled), Rule Status (it should be enabled) and Assigned Policies (policy name should be displayed) under File Server in the left pane.
It is advised to use SQL authentication even if SQL Server is installed on the local system. If you cannot use SQL authentication for any reason and you are using Windows authentication, try the following:
Type services.msc in RUN and press Enter to access the Windows Services, on the system where the software is installed.
Double click Lepide FSA Service, go to Logon tab and select This Account.
Browse the username by which you have logged into the system.
Provide the password in the given field.
In case the username is already selected re-enter the password in the given field.
Click Apply and OK.
Again right-click on Lepide FSA Service and select Restart in the pop-up menu.
9.2 Change the Priority of Audit Rule
Follow the steps below to change the priority of Audit Rule:
Navigate to File Servers section from the left panel and go to Rules Management.
In Rules Management, click the
icon. It displays the following dialog box.
Select an audit rule and click
icon to decrease its priority.Select an audit rule and click
icon to increase its priority.Click OK.
NOTE: After you have created an audit rule, you can click the Modify icon 
to modify it.
10. Create Audit Policy
By creating a new audit policy, you can ensure that you audit only the objects you require such as specified Files, Folders, Directories, Events, and Processes.
There are three default policies:
Audit All: Select this policy to audit all objects on the File Server.
Audit Shares Only: Select this policy to audit the shared folders only.
Audit All but Shares: Select this policy to audit all except shared folders.
For customized auditing, you need to create an audit policy with the desired object monitoring list. While creating a policy, an administrator can set the priority of policy rules to streamline the audit report further.
The following steps explain how to create new audit policy. Once this is done, you can associate it with an audit rule to audit only selected objects.
Navigate to the Audit Policies in the left pane.
At the top of the Policy Name section click the
icon to add a new Policy
Enter the Policy Name and description.
Now, select the type of object list from the drop-down menu.
Directory
File Mask
Process
Event
Monitoring Time
There are different ways to add each object list which are explained as follows:
Add Directory: Follow the steps below to add a directory.
Select Directory and click Add to open the following dialog box:
If you wish to add all directories, check the All Directories box. Uncheck this option to add a customized list of directories.
Click the Add button to access the following options to add the directories:
Manually: Select this option to add a directory manually with its name. It displays the following dialog box.
Enter the name of the directory and click OK. It takes you back to Add Directory dialog box, which now displays the name of the added directory.
Scan: Select this option to scan the File Server and select the directories from the list.
In the Scan and Add dialog box, select the name of File Server from the drop-down menu. It lists all directories in a tree structure on the File Server in the Left Panel. Expand the nodes to access the directories. Select a directory and click the 
icon to add it.
In the Right Panel, you can uncheck the directories which you do not want to add. To remove a directory from the added list, select it and click the 
icon to remove it.
After you have selected the directories, click OK. It takes you back to Add Directory wizard.
Default: You can select this option to add the selected default directories on the File Server. It displays the following dialog box.
Select the desired default directories and click OK. It takes you back to Add Directory wizard.
You can add the directories using any of the above methods. The added directories are listed in the dialog box.
To delete a directory, you can select it and click the Remove button.
Click OK after you have added the required directories. It takes you back to the Add New Policy wizard, where all added directories are listed in the section as a separate category named Directories.
You can expand or collapse the Directories categories.
You can click the Include radio button to include the list of added directories in the auditing, which means that only the listed directories will be audited.
Click the Exclude radio button to exclude the list of added directories from auditing.
After adding the directories, if you click Add button again for adding further directories, then the Modify Directory dialog box appears on the screen. Follow the same steps as listed above to add or remove the directories.
Add File Mask: You can specify the name or extension of the files to be monitored in File Masks. Follow the steps below to add the File Masks:
Select File Mask in the Objects drop-down menu and click OK. It displays the Add File Mask dialog box:
If you have checked the All Files option, then all files on the File Server will be added. Uncheck this option to add a customized list of files.
The process to add File Mask is same as when adding directories except for the Default option.
Click the Add button to access the following options:
Manually: Click this option to add a file mask manually by providing its name.
Provide the name or extension of the file and click OK. It adds the file mask and takes you back to Add File Mask dialog box.
Scan: Select this option to scan the File Server and add the selected files.
Select the files in the left panel and click the
icon to add the file mask. In the Right Panel, you can uncheck the files which you do not want to add.
To remove a file from the added list, select it and click the
icon to remove it.After you have selected the file masks, click OK. It takes you back to Add File Mask dialog box, which displays the list of all added File Masks.
To delete a File Mask, you can select it and click the Remove button.
Click OK after you have added the required file masks. It takes you back to Add New Policy wizard, where all added File Masks are listed in the section as a separate category named File Masks.
You can expand or collapse File Masks categories.
You can click Include radio button to include the list of added file masks in the auditing, which means that only the listed file masks will be audited.
Click Exclude radio button to exclude the list of added file masks from auditing.
After adding the file masks, if you click Add button again for adding further file masks then Modify File Mask dialog box appears onscreen. Follow the same steps as listed above to add or remove the file masks.
Add Process: Follow the steps below to add the processes.
Select Process in the drop-down menu of Objects and click OK. It displays the Add Process dialog box:
If you have checked the All Processes option, then all processes running on the File Server will be added. Uncheck this option to add a customized list of processes.
Click the Add button to access the following options to add the processes:
Manually: Click this option to add a process manually by providing its name:é
Provide the name of the process and click OK.
It adds the process and takes you back to Add Process dialog box.
Default: Select this option to choose the processes from a predefined list.
Check the boxes of those processes, which want to add. Click OK after you have made your selection. It takes you back to Add Process dialog box that now shows the list of added processes.
To delete a process, you can select it and click the Remove button.
Click OK after you have added the required processes. It takes you back to Add New Policy wizard, where all added Processes are listed in the section as a separate category named Processes.
You can expand or collapse the Processes categories.
You can click the Include radio button to include the list of added processes in the auditing, which means that only the listed processes will be audited.
Click the Exclude radio button to exclude the list of added processes from auditing.
Click the Modify button to modify a process. Follow the same steps as listed above to Modify the processes.
Click the Remove button to remove a process
Add Event: Follow the steps below to add events.
Click the Add button to access the following dialog box, which has two tabs, File Events and Folder Events:
In both tabs, you can check the boxes of the events to be added.
You can uncheck the events, which you do not want to add.
Click OK after you have selected the required events. It takes you back to Add New Policy wizard, where all added events are listed in the section as a separate category named Events.
You can expand or collapse Events categories.
You can click Include radio button to include the list of added events in the auditing, which means that only the listed events will be audited.
Click Exclude radio button to exclude the list of added events from auditing.
After adding the events, if you click Add button again for events, then Modify Event dialog box appears onscreen. Follow the same steps as listed above to add or remove the events.
Add Monitoring Time: Follow the steps below to add monitoring time.
Select Monitoring Time in the Objects drop-down menu and click Add button to access the following dialog box:
Select any of the following options in the drop-down menu.
Always: Select this option to audit always.
Daily: Select this option to audit daily. You need to provide the start and end time for the auditing.
Weekly: Select this option to audit on a weekly basis.
Define the start and date time. Select the days on which the auditing will be performed.
Monthly: Select this option to audit monthly.
Define the start and end time for auditing. Select the months and define the day on which the auditing will be performed.
One Time Only: Select this option to run the auditing only once at the selected date and time.
Select the required option and provide the necessary input for it as explained above.
Click OK to add the selected monitoring time. It takes you back to Add New Policy wizard, which now shows the added monitoring time.
After you have added the required objects of the different categories such as directories, file masks, processes, and events, you can now select whether or not to include the entire category in the auditing.
The defined monitoring time specifies when the auditing will be done.
You can select a category and click Remove button to remove it from the auditing list.
Click OK to create the new audit policy.
If the notification appears, then you must update the agent as well.
NOTE: You can follow the above similar steps to modify an existing user-created audit policy. The software also allows you deleting an audit policy.
11. Add User Group
You can create Users Groups of the selected users in an organization to apply similar policies over the groups. With the User Groups Section, you can create a group of individual users. The users of the user group are assigned a common policy and the users added to the User Group List are by default added to the User List.
Click User Group option on the Left Panel to add, modify, or delete the user group. Follow the steps below to add a new user group.
Click the
icon, Add New User Group dialog appears.Enter the name and description of the new user group.
Click Add button and select any of the following options to add the users.
From AD: Select this option to obtain the users from Active Directory to form a user group. It contains the following options.
Users: You can select this option to add the users of Active Directory.
Follow the steps below to add the users:
Select the domain from the drop-down menu or type a domain name manually.
Click Find to list all available users.
You can tap and hold CTRL button to select multiple users.
Click OK to add the users.
It takes you back to Add User wizard, which now shows the list of added users.
Groups: You can select this option to add the users from a group.
Follow the steps below to select the group. All users in the selected group will be added.
Select the domain from the drop-down menu or type a domain name manually.
Click Find to list all available groups.
You can tap and hold CTRL key to select the multiple groups.
Click OK to add the groups.
It takes you back to the Add User wizard, which now shows the list of users added from the selected group.
Containers/OUs: You can select this option to add the users from a container or organizational unit.
Follow the steps below to select the container of which all users will be added.
Select the domain from the drop-down menu or type a domain name manually.
Click Find to list all available containers or Organizational Units.
Check the boxes of containers or organizational units, from which you want to add the users.
Click OK.
It takes you back to Add User wizard, which now shows the list of users added from the selected container.
Manually: Select this option to add the user manually by providing its username and name of its domain or computer.
Follow the steps below to add a user manually.
Enter the username.
Enter the name of the domain or computer.
Select whether it is a local user or a domain user.
Click OK to add the user. It takes you back to Add User wizard that shows the added user.
Local User: Select this option to add the local users.
Follow the steps below to add the local user.
Select the domain from the drop-down menu or type a domain name manually.
Click Find to list all available computers and their local users.
Check the boxes of the users, which you want to add.
Click OK. It takes you back to Add User wizard, which now shows the list of added users.
To remove the user(s), you can select the user(s) and click Remove button.
You can use the drop-down menu of Apply Policy to select the audit policy applicable for the added users. It lists three default audit policies (Audit all, audit shares only, and audit all but shares) and all customized audit policies created in the software.
Click OK. It creates the user group for the selected policy.
The notification appears on screen to update the agent. You have to update the agent to make the modifications in the auditing of the File server.
NOTE: Perform the same steps, mentioned above, to modify an existing user group. The software also allows you deleting a user group.