Log Files &
Analyzing Tools
Jonathan Yip
Introducing Logs in
Websphere
• The first line of defense against problems
• Websphere provides many logs that give
information about progress, status, and
problems
3
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•
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Types of Format for different level of output:
Basic
Advanced
Loganalyzer
Websphere’s
Informational Logs
Log Name
Log Source
Wasdb2.log
CreateDB.bat
Wssetup.log
Setup.exe
Access.log
IBM HTTP Server
Error.log
IBM HTTP Server
Native.log
Plug-in
Adminserver-stderr.log
Administrative Server
Tracefile
Administrative Server
Activity.log
Administrative Server
Stderr.log
Application Server
Stdout.log
Application Server
Default-server-stderr.log
Default Application Server
Default-server-stdout.log
Default Application Server
Log File: Level of Output
• Output information needed
• Adjust level of output in logging
property file
Audit (default): Record all messages
Error: Report severity errors
Warning: Warning indicate a problem
occurred and should be corrected.
Report both severity errors or warnings
Installation Logs
wssetup.log
• Created during processing of setup.exe
• Hardware configuration
• Software prerequisites present
• Configuration of the Administrative Server
wasdb2.log
• Record the process of creation and
configuration of Administrative database
Administrative Server
Logs
3 logs to monitor progress and errors:
• _adminserverFatalError.log
Serious error log
•
Tracefile
Logs the startup and shutdown of the
Administrative Server
•
Adminserver-stderr.log
Record error during start up
Application Server Logs
default_server_stdout.log
• Indicates failures within the Java
components under Application
Server
• Contains exceptions thrown by the
applications running under the
default_server
IBM HTTP Server Logs
2 logs from HTTP Server:
access.log
• Provides HTTP request information
• Returns responses by Web server
169.254.255.129 - -[13/Feb/2002:21:11:44 –800] “GET /whole.jpg
HTTP/1.1” 200 85708
• Created by CustomLog directive
(Common Log Format Standard)
LogFormat “%h %l %u %t \%r|” %>s %b” common
IBM HTTP Server Logs
(con’t)
error.log
• Logs any errors HTTP server encounters
• ErrorLog directive to setup format
Both CustomLog and ErrorLog are stored in
<IBM_HTTP_HOME>\conf\httpd.conf
• adminAccess.log & adminError.log provides the
same logging services as the access and error logs
generated by HTTP Administration service outputs
Plug-in Logs
native.log
• Contains error and informational messages
generated by the Web server plug-in
• Shows information about the startup and
changes applied to the server
Log Analyzer
• Reads error conditions in the Activity
log
• Analyze error conditions to provide
error message explanations and,
error message recovery instructions
• Takes one or more activity logs
merges all the data, & displays
Traces
• Same as Logs, but needs to be enabled
• Gets additional information from IBM code
base
• Get operational aspects of Websphere
• Options can be chosen on what to trace
• If enabled, a huge system overhead
generated
Tracefile Log Entry
Trace Log Components:
Timestamp: [2/27/02 6:10:06:727 PST]
Thread ID: 44da7285
Component short name: StaleConnecti
Level: A=Audit; W=Warning; X=Error; E=Event; D=Debug;
T=Terminate; F=Fatal; I=Informational;
Message: Detail information
Resource Analyzer
• Use to retrieve performance data from application
servers
• Data is collected continuously
Resource Analyzer can accomplish:
• View performance data in real time
• Record performance information into log file
• Monitor and estimate the load on application servers
& the average wait time for clients
• View historical performance data from the log file
• View information captured in a chart
• Perform a comparison evaluation for a single resource
to a group of resources on a single node
Resource Analyzer
Represents a
physical
machine
Data type to
hold
performance
data
Represents a
server
provides
functionality
over network
Represents
one or more
resource
categories
Eg. (EJB)
Manipulate raw
data that is collected
about the application
server.
manipulate the raw data that is collected about the application server.
Resource Analyzer
(con’t)
It can collect and report performance on:
• Java runtime
• Database connection pools
• EJBs
• EJB methods
• Enterprise bean object pools
• Transactions
• Web Applications
References:
Websphere Application Server Bible, Kataoka (2002)
About the Websphere Resource Analyzer
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/doc/v40/ae/infocenter/was/06060012.html#FIGEPMTREE-FIG
Getting Started with Websphere Application Server
http://www-3.ibm.com/software/webservers/appserv/doc/v40/aee/wasa_content/welcome.html
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