Viewing Server Activity Log

The server activity log provides a complete audit trail of every action taken on your server. Whether it was a power action, configuration change, plan upgrade, or add-on modification, the activity log records who did what and when. This transparency is essential for troubleshooting, security auditing, and team coordination.

Accessing the Activity Log

Log in to your Data Mammoth dashboard.

Navigate to Servers and click on your server.

Click the Activity or Activity Log tab.

The log displays events in reverse chronological order, with the most recent events at the top.

Understanding Log Entries

Each activity log entry includes the following information:

Types of Logged Events

Power Actions

All power-related events are logged:

• Server Started — The server was powered on.
• Server Stopped — The server was gracefully shut down.
• Server Restarted — The server was rebooted.
• Force Stop — The server was forcibly powered off.
• Force Restart — The server was forcibly rebooted.

Configuration Changes

Changes to server settings are recorded:

• Hostname Changed — The server's hostname was updated.
• Label Updated — The server's display name or labels were modified.
• SSH Key Added/Removed — An SSH key was added to or removed from the server.
• Reverse DNS Updated — The PTR record for an IP address was changed.
• OS Reinstalled — The operating system was reinstalled.

Plan and Resource Changes

• Plan Upgraded — The server was upgraded to a higher tier.
• Plan Downgraded — The server was moved to a lower tier.
• Add-on Enabled — An add-on service was activated.
• Add-on Disabled — An add-on service was removed.

Backup Events

• Backup Created — A snapshot or backup was taken.
• Backup Restored — A previous backup was restored to the server.
• Backup Deleted — A stored backup was removed.

Account-Level Actions

• Server Created — The server was initially provisioned.
• Cancellation Requested — A cancellation was scheduled.
• Cancellation Reversed — A pending cancellation was reversed.

Filtering the Activity Log

If your server has a long history, use the available filters to find specific events:

• Date range — Filter events within a specific time period.
• Action type — Show only power actions, configuration changes, or billing events.
• User — Filter by the user who performed the action (useful for multi-user accounts).

Using the Activity Log for Troubleshooting

The activity log is invaluable when diagnosing unexpected behavior:

Scenario: Server Went Down Unexpectedly

Open the activity log and check for any recent power actions.

Look for a "Force Stop" or "Server Stopped" event you did not initiate.

Check if an automated system (e.g., billing suspension) triggered the stop.

Review the timestamps to correlate with monitoring alerts or user reports.

Scenario: Configuration Changed Without Your Knowledge

Filter the log for configuration change events.

Check the "Performed By" field to identify who made the change.

Review the details to see what was changed (old value vs. new value).

If the change was unauthorized, secure your account by changing your password and enabling 2FA. See Enable 2FA — Protect Your Account.

Scenario: Performance Issue After a Change

Check the activity log for any recent configuration or plan changes.

Correlate the timestamp of the change with when the performance issue began.

If a configuration change caused the issue, review the details and consider reverting.

Activity Log Best Practices

Review regularly — Make it a habit to check the activity log weekly, especially for production servers.

Cross-reference with monitoring — When performance alerts trigger, check the activity log for corresponding changes.

Use for onboarding — New team members can review the activity log to understand recent server history.

Document changes — While the log captures dashboard actions, also maintain your own documentation for command-line changes made via SSH.

Investigate anomalies — Any action you do not recognize should be investigated immediately as a potential security concern.

Account-Wide Activity

In addition to per-server activity logs, your Data Mammoth account may have an account-wide activity log that captures actions across all servers and services. Look for this under Account Settings or Activity in the main navigation.

What to Do Next

• Understanding Your Server Dashboard — Navigate all dashboard features.
• Enable 2FA — Protect Your Account — Secure your account against unauthorized access.
• Monitoring Server Performance — Correlate activity with performance data.
• How to Submit a Support Ticket — Report unexpected activity.