Audit logging for a secure, scalable and flexible internet fax architecture

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of a component of a plurality of components of an Internet fax system, causes the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

• maintaining, by a central logging module associated with an Internet fax system, a chronological record of a sequence of events associated with the plurality of components in a form of an audit log, wherein the audit log stores a plurality of audit log entries and wherein the centralized logging module is tightly integrated with the Internet fax system and is aware of various sources of information, including objects, identifiers, data structures and databases used within the Internet fax system, thereby allowing the centralized logging module to offload from the plurality of components retrieval of specific parameters from the various sources of information to be stored within the plurality of audit log entries;
• receiving, by the centralized audit logging module, from the component, information regarding an event associated with the component, that is to be logged in a form of an audit log entry of the plurality of audit log entries separate and distinct from a record of inbound or outbound fax calls available for presentation to subscribers of the Internet fax system, wherein the component comprises a web server, an email server, a fax server, a notification server or an imaging system;
• utilizing, by the centralized audit logging module, the information to determine and retrieve the specific parameters within the Internet fax system to be logged;
• recording, by the centralized audit logging module, the event to the audit log in a standardized format by creating the audit log entry, incorporating the information and the specific parameters within the audit log entry and storing the audit log entry within the audit log;
• and
• responsive to receiving, by the centralized audit logging module, a request for retrieval of a portion of the plurality of audit log entries initiated by a subscriber of the Internet fax system, returning those audit log entries of the plurality of audit log entries matching one or more optional criteria specified in the request for purposes of facilitating auditing of security or compliance of the Internet fax system by the subscriber.