MS4 Audit examines all database and device file definitions to identify the potential date fields processed by the applications. These fields are then automatically identified as either date fields, non-date fields or unknown fields, and a repository is created containing the results of this analysis. The MS4 Audit Repository is then reviewed and the analysis results confirmed or corrected. In this review, any unknown fields must be manually identified as either date or non-date fields.

Date fields may also be classified as ambiguous, so the results of each step of the analysis phase need to be reviewed and a date or non-date status value manually assigned to any query fields.

During the steps that follow, MS4 Audit begins a thorough examination of all fields that can possibly contain dates.

• Review and confirm analysis
  (1) Examine all database and device file definitions to identify the potential date fields, (2)identify all date fields on the application field reference files, database, device files, (3) anlayse RPG source, (4) analyse database, (5) analyse device files for alpha fields, (6) review and confirm Audit Analysis.  
  
  
• Audit data gathering
  Gather info on data members, access paths, record selections, device objects, program objects, and program references.  
  
  
• Date field verification
  Check that for each field identified as a date, all the data in that field adheres to the date format specified.  
  
  
• Reporting
  Produce MS4 Audit reports.