Simple Machines Community Forum

SMF Support => SMF 2.1.x Support => Topic started by: Grammy on August 05, 2021, 09:17:50 PM

Title: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Grammy on August 05, 2021, 09:17:50 PM
2.1 RC3, default.  The gist is that as of today, the forum's hosting has finally been able to get Cloudflare to swap out the IP so that the Cloudflare IP is changed to the user IP.  Finally, and it was like pulling teeth.   ::)

Is there a way we can now wipe out the old IP logs from the past few months?  Otherwise, everyone will be tied to each other on the IP tracking.  (And it's just a matter of good housekeeping.)   :)

Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: efk on August 06, 2021, 05:28:51 AM
I think that I read topic related with IP logs removal few weeks ago, and with solution, but not sure. Try to search through boards newer results (not only 2.0.x and 2.1.x boards).
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Grammy on August 06, 2021, 07:31:37 AM
Thanks, I'll try again.   :)


Edit:  Nothing.   :(
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: live627 on August 06, 2021, 08:47:23 AM
Each message has an Ip associated with it stored in I think binary.
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: albertlast on August 06, 2021, 09:23:55 AM
how they stored depend on the database in ther favored way to store them,
in short mysql/mariadb db is saved in varbinary and postgresql inet.
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Grammy on August 06, 2021, 09:36:27 AM
Quote from: live627 on August 06, 2021, 08:47:23 AM
Each message has an Ip associated with it stored in I think binary.

Quote from: albertlast on August 06, 2021, 09:23:55 AM
how they stored depend on the database in ther favored way to store them,
in short mysql/mariadb db is saved in varbinary and postgresql inet.

Ah....   if you see one finger sticking up out of the murky depths, that means I'm drowning.   :D

Thanks, guys.  I'll get the big hammer out and see what I can mess up. 
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Doug Heffernan on August 06, 2021, 05:57:43 PM
Quote from: Grammy on August 05, 2021, 09:17:50 PM
2.1 RC3, default.  The gist is that as of today, the forum's hosting has finally been able to get Cloudflare to swap out the IP so that the Cloudflare IP is changed to the user IP.  Finally, and it was like pulling teeth.   ::)

Is there a way we can now wipe out the old IP logs from the past few months?  Otherwise, everyone will be tied to each other on the IP tracking.  (And it's just a matter of good housekeeping.)   :)



The right/correct way to do this would be through a custom mod.

You can do it manually as well by running a few sql queries in the database that your forum resides on.
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Grammy on August 06, 2021, 08:26:34 PM
Quote from: Doug Heffernan on August 06, 2021, 05:57:43 PM

The right/correct way to do this would be through a custom mod.

You can do it manually as well by running a few sql queries in the database that your forum resides on.


So..... Doug.......   feeling inspired to write a custom mod?   O:)

(A girl has to ask.)    :D
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Doug Heffernan on August 06, 2021, 09:37:51 PM
Quote from: Grammy on August 06, 2021, 08:26:34 PM
Quote from: Doug Heffernan on August 06, 2021, 05:57:43 PM

The right/correct way to do this would be through a custom mod.

You can do it manually as well by running a few sql queries in the database that your forum resides on.


So..... Doug.......   feeling inspired to write a custom mod?   O:)

(A girl has to ask.)    :D

I do not have the free time right now to code mods. Have you considered to request it at the Mod Request board btw?

https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=79.0

Maybe someone with free time on their hands can develop it for you. It should not be hard to code this.
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Grammy on August 07, 2021, 11:04:53 AM
Quote from: Doug Heffernan on August 06, 2021, 09:37:51 PM


I do not have the free time right now to code mods. Have you considered to request it at the Mod Request board btw?

https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?board=79.0

Maybe someone with free time on their hands can develop it for you. It should not be hard to code this.

We've not met, so you couldn't know that I was just messin' with you.   :D

But good idea and I think I'll do that.   ;)
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: shawnb61 on August 07, 2021, 12:46:04 PM
Is there a specific action you are trying to do where this is causing a problem?

IP addresses aren't visible to users, only admins.

I would strongly suggest leaving them alone.  It may not be particularly helpful info, but it reflects what was captured at the time.  Over time, more accurate IPs will be populated.

There is no "IP log".  IPs are stored in a few places.  Some logs, e.g., the error log & member_logins.  They're on messages, & reflect the IP of the poster at that time.

The most consequential place they're stored is on the member records themselves, where they can help admins research bad characters.  But unless I'm missing something, your worst case scenario is that they're unhelpful.

I'm not sure there is a benefit to blowing them away.  I'd be more concerned you might break some functionality by doing so.
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Sesquipedalian on August 07, 2021, 02:14:28 PM
Quote from: shawnb61 on August 07, 2021, 12:46:04 PM
I'm not sure there is a benefit to blowing them away.  I'd be more concerned you might break some functionality by doing so.

Agreed. Deleting IP addresses from the database records is asking for trouble. In theory, SMF should recover gracefully if an expected IP address is missing. But even if no overt errors are generated, various parts of SMF's functionality might not behave as expected if that data is missing.

So unless there is some concrete reason why you need to delete the Cloudfare IP address from your records, Grammy, it probably isn't worthwhile to do so.
Title: Re: Looking for a way to wipe out IP logs for the past few months?
Post by: Grammy on August 07, 2021, 05:44:03 PM
Quote from: shawnb61 on August 07, 2021, 12:46:04 PM
Is there a specific action you are trying to do where this is causing a problem?

IP addresses aren't visible to users, only admins.

I would strongly suggest leaving them alone.  It may not be particularly helpful info, but it reflects what was captured at the time.  Over time, more accurate IPs will be populated.

There is no "IP log".  IPs are stored in a few places.  Some logs, e.g., the error log & member_logins.  They're on messages, & reflect the IP of the poster at that time.

The most consequential place they're stored is on the member records themselves, where they can help admins research bad characters.  But unless I'm missing something, your worst case scenario is that they're unhelpful.

I'm not sure there is a benefit to blowing them away.  I'd be more concerned you might break some functionality by doing so.


Well...   even though I've been brought on as an additional admin for this particular forum, it's not my call.  One of the owners would like to wipe the IP addresses.  But I think he's either delved into the DB by now and achieved what he wanted or moved to to sort other more pressing issues. 

Thanks, you guys, for weighing in.  I'm going to mark this solved for now.    :)