IBM FileNet P8, Version 5.2.1            

Enabling trace logging for process clients

You can enable trace logging for process clients, and then use the log files that are generated by the trace to troubleshoot any traced problems that occur on the client.

Process clients are applications that use the process client APIs to access the workflow system. Some examples of process clients are the administration console and the Process Engine Web Services API. You can enable trace logging for the process clients by using the fnlog4j.properties file, which is installed with the product.

The process client logging relies on the Apache Log4j logging mechanism, which defines loggers, appenders, and layouts for the logging.

When troubleshooting process client issues, use the trace logging information to supplement other process server logging information.

To enable trace logging for process clients, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the sample file that is located in the following default location in the Content Platform Engine server:
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\IBM\FileNet\ContentEngine\tools\PE\samples\fnlog4j.properties.sample
    • UNIX: opt/IBM/FileNet/ContentEngine/tools/PE/samples/fnlog4j.properties.sample
  2. In the fnlog4j.properties.sample file, modify the logger and appender information. See the related information for details.

    To disable any portion of the properties file, add a pound (#) sign in front of the line that contains the item that you want to disable.

    Ensure that you configure the appender file location correctly, or you will not get a properly generated log file. The location in which you place the appender file must be a writeable location, with enough space for the logs.

  3. Place the fnlog4j.properties file in the JRE/lib directory of the JVM that the process application is using. Ensure that you remove the .sample file extension. Examples of where to place the fnlog4j.properties file include:
    • Legacy Component Manager uses the private JRE that comes installed with the process client installer. The default location is AE\Router\java\jre\lib or WebClient\Router\java\jre\lib.
    • For Workplace or Workplace XT deployed within WebSphere®, the JRE/lib location will be associated with the WebSphere Java that is being used.
    • For IBM® Content Navigator deployed within WebSphere, the JRE/lib location is associated with the WebSphere Java that is being used.
    • For process client applets, the JRE/lib location of the plug-in JRE that the browser uses on the client machine.
    • For Administration Console for Content Platform Engine and Process Engine Web Services API, the JRE/lib is the one that the application server uses to host Content Platform Engine.
    The default WebSphere Java location is WebSphere\AppServer\java\jre\lib. For Oracle WebLogic Server, if you are using jrockit as the JVM, the default location is bea\jrockit_xxx\jre\lib.

    When the updated fnlog4j.properties file is placed in the correct JRE/lib directory, logging is automatically enabled. You do not need to restart the application server or the custom application that is using the JVM.

  4. Optional: To disable fnlog4j logging, remove the fnlog4j.properties file from the JRE/lib directory, or rename the file, and then stop and restart your application server or custom application. If you want to disable logging, but you cannot restart the JVM, you can reduce the amount of logging by adjusting the log levels. You can change the log level for the configured loggers to FATAL. Changing the level to FATAL, reduces the amount of logging significantly, and the log4j mechanism reads the log levels dynamically.

    Commenting out the logger dynamically at runtime will not work, because the logger is loaded into memory. Deleting the fnlog4j.properties file will also not stop the logging until the JVM is restarted.

You can change the log levels for the appenders without restarting the application or application server. You can also add loggers during runtime without restarting. To add a logger, remove the hash sign in front of the logger.

If the output file that is defined in the appender does not contain logging information, verify that there are no other log4j logging mechanisms defined on the system. Search for other fnlog4j.properties or log4j.properties files on the system and disable them.



Last updated: March 2016
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