Network Deployment (Distributed operating systems), v8.0 > Reference > Log and trace file descriptions
HTTP error, FRCA, and NCSA access log settings
Use this page to configure the global HTTP error log, and National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) access log settings for an HTTP inbound channel. If you are running the product on z/OS, you can also use this page to configure the global Fast Response Cache Accelerator (FRCA) log settings for an HTTP inbound channel. A FRCA log is a specialized form of a NCSA log and can only be created in a z/OS environment.
To view this administrative console page...
Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server_name
. Under Troubleshooting, click NCSA access and HTTP error logging. This console page has separate sections for each type of logging. The FRCA logging section only appears if you are running the product on z/OS.
The HTTP error log contains a record of HTTP processing errors that occur. The level of error logging that occurs is dependent on the value that is selected for the Error log level field.
The NCSA access log contains a record of all inbound client requests that the HTTP transport channel handles. All of the messages that are contained in a NCSA access log are in NCSA format.
After you configure the HTTP error logs, NCSA access logs, and FRCA logs, explicitly enable each type of logging on the settings page for the HTTP channels for which you want a specific types of logging to occur.
To view the settings page for an HTTP channel, click...
Servers > Server Types > WebSphere application servers > server_name
> Web Container Settings > HTTP inbound channel > Web container transport chains. The settings for any of these logs can also be modified on the settings page for a specific HTTP inbound channel. Any changes that you make on the HTTP inbound channel settings page only apply to that specific inbound channel. and override any global configuration settings that you specify on this page.
Enable logging service at server start-up
Select this option if you want any of the following logging to start when the server starts:
Even if you select this option, explicitly enable the type of logging to occur on this page and on the settings page for the HTTP transport channel for which you want that type of logging to occur.
- NCSA access logging
- HTTP error logging
Enable NCSA access logging
When selected, a record of inbound client requests that the HTTP transport channel handles is kept in the NCSA access log.
NCSA access log file path
Directory path and name of the NCSA access log. Standard variable substitutions, such as $(SERVER_LOG_ROOT), can be used when specifying the directory path.
NCSA access log maximum size
Maximum size, in megabytes, of the NCSA access log. When the content of the NCSA access log reaches the specified maximum size limit, a <logname>. <timestamp>.log archive file
is created. The current content of the NCSA access log is then copied to this archive log.
An example of a file name for this archive log follows::
ncsa_access_11_09_20_16.15.04.log
The next time the content in the NCSA access log reaches the specified maximum log size, the content of the NCSA access log is again copied to the <logname>. <timestamp>.log archive file
. The copy process overwrites the current content of the archive file with the most current content of the NCSA access log. NOTE: When there are multiple archive logs, as determined by the setting of the "Maximum number of historical files", the oldest archive log is the one overwritten.
Maximum number of historical files
Maximum number of historical versions of the NCSA access log file that are kept for future reference.
NCSA access log format
Specifies which NCSA format is used when logging client access information. If you select Common, the log entries contain the requested resource and a few other pieces of information, but does not contain referral, user agent, and cookie information. If you select Combined, referral, user agent, and cookie information is included.
Enable error logging
When selected, HTTP errors that occur while the HTTP channel processes client requests are recorded in the HTTP error log.
Error log file path
Directory path and the name of the HTTP error log. Standard variable substitutions, such as $(SERVER_LOG_ROOT), can be used when specifying the directory path.
Error log maximum size
Maximum size, in megabytes, of the HTTP error log. When the content of the HTTP error log reaches the specified maximum size limit, a <logname>. <timestamp>.log archive file
is created. The current content of the HTTP error log is then copied to this archive log.
An example of a file name for this archive log follows::
//publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v8r0/index.jsp?topic=/ _access_11_09_20_16.15.04.log
The next time the content in the HTTP error log reaches the specified maximum log size, the content of the HTTP error log is again copied to the <logname>. <timestamp>.log archive file
. The copy process overwrites the current content of the archive file with the most current content of the HTTP error log. NOTE: When there are multiple archive logs, as determined by the setting of the "Maximum number of historical files", the oldest archive log is the one overwritten.
Maximum number of historical files
Maximum number of historical versions of the Error log file that are kept for future reference.
Error log level
Type of error messages that are included in the HTTP error log.
We can select:
Critical
Only critical failures that stop the Application Server from functioning properly are logged.
Error
The errors that occur in response to clients are logged. These errors require Application Server administrator intervention if they result from server configuration settings.
Warning
Information on general errors, such as socket exceptions that occur while handling client requests, are logged. These errors do not typically require Application Server administrator intervention.
Information
The status of the various tasks performed while handling client requests is logged.
Debug
More verbose task status information is logged. This level of logging is not intended to replace RAS logging for debugging problems, but does provide a steady status report on the progress of individual client requests. If this level of logging is selected, specify a large enough log file size in the Error log maximum size field to contain all of the information that is logged.
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