How to set up a Trace
 Technote (troubleshooting)
 
This document applies only to the following language version(s):
English
 
Problem(Abstract)
Use this document to set up trace strings for IBM® WebSphere® Application Server versions 5.0, 5.1 and 6.0 as mentioned in the component specific MustGather documents.
 
Symptom
 
Resolving the problem
Note: The trace string you put in depends on what module in Application Server you need to trace or what problem you are wishing to troubleshoot. In order to determine what string you need to put in, please consult the WebSphere Support site . Once there, search on "MustGather and" place in the module you wish to troubleshoot. This will narrow down your search for the particular MustGather document. Once you get to the MustGather document, follow the instructions within to get the trace string.


For V6.0:

Static Trace:

1. Log on to the administrative console.

2. In left panel expand Troubleshooting. Click on Logs and Trace.

3. Select the application server to be traced, and than on the next page click the Diagnostic Trace link.

4. Select the Configuration tab.

5. Select the Enable Log property.

6. Under Trace Output, select File radio button and specify File Name. Also Increase the Maximum file size to 100 MB and Increase the Maximum number of historical files to 10.

7. Select Basic (Compatible) Trace Output Format unless otherwise specified by support.

8. Navigate to Logging and Tracing > your_application_server > Change Log Detail Levels.

9. Under Configuration tab specify Trace Specification by entering the trace string specific to the mustgather doc for which you are collecting data.

10. Click Apply and OK. Then Save your configuration (select Synchronize changes with Nodes option).

Dynamic Trace:

1. Log on to the administrative console.

2. In the left panel, expand Troubleshooting and click on Logs and Trace.

3. Select the application server to be traced, and than on the next page click the Diagnostic Trace link.

4. Selet the Runtime tab.

5. Under Trace Output, select Memory Buffer and type a Dump file name (if you don't specify path but just file name than default location of file is under application server profile directory). Set the Maximum buffer size to 300. This equates to approximately 60 MB of additional Java™ heap usage. Make sure your application server JVM Heap Max value is set appropriately to accommodate the additional heap usage.
Important:
Do not select Save Runtime Changes to Configuration as well if you do not want this setting to become permanent.

6. Navigate back to Logging and Tracing > your_application_server > Change Log Detail Levels.

7. Select the Runtime tab.

8. Under Trace Specification, enter trace string for the specific mustgather for which you are collecting data.

9. Click Apply, then OK to activate the trace.

10. Reproduce the problem.

11. To dump the traced data to a file, navigate to Logging and Tracing > your_application_server > Diagnostic Trace Service.

12. In the Runtime tab click Dump to generate the trace output to the specified Dump File.



For V5.0 and V5.1:

Statice Trace:

1. Log on to the administrative console.

2. In left panel expand Troubleshooting. Click on Logs and Trace.

3. In right panel click on your_application_server > Diagnostic Trace.

4. In Configuration tab, check Enable trace.

5. In Trace Specification write trace string from the mustgather doc for which you want to collect data.

6. In the Trace Output, choose File Name and type a file name. Increase the Maximum file size to 100 MB. Increase Maximum number of historical files to 10 as well.

7. Select Basic (Compatible) Trace Output Format unless otherwise specified by support.

8. Click Apply then OK and than Save your configuration (select Synchronize changes with Nodes option).

Dynamic Trace

1. With the application server started, start the administrative console.

2. In left hand panel, expand Troubleshooting and click Logs and Trace.

3. Select the application server to be traced, and then on the next page click the Diagnostic Trace link.

4. Select the Runtime tab.

5. Under Trace specification, write trace string specific to mustgather you are collecting.

6. In the Trace Output panel, select the Memory Buffer radio button.

7. Enter 200 in the Maxmum Buffer Size field. This equates to approximately 40 MB of additional Java™ heap usage. Make sure your application server JVM Heap Max value is set appropriately to accommodate the additional heap usage.

8. Click apply and OK. Trace is now activated.

9. Reproduce the problem.

10. To dump the traced data to a file, return to the Logs and Traces page and select the Runtime tab of Diagnostic Trace Service.

11. Specify a Dump File Name (for example: logs/myTraceData.log).

12. Click Dump to generate the trace output to the specified Dump File Name.

Application Server Developer provides a Test Environment. Using this Test Environment, you can run Application Server traces that will assist you in troubleshoot problems.

To enable a WebSphere Application Server trace:

  1. Open the server configuration editor from the Server Perspective of WebSphere Studio Application Developer.
  2. Select the Trace tab. From here, the Trace string and Trace output file can be configured.
  3. Save your changes.

The next time your test server starts, tracing is enabled. In the WebSphere Studio Application Developer console, the following output is displayed:

TRAS0017I: The startup trace state is <listing of the trace string.

The trace output is sent to the specified Trace output file.

You can also enable tracing in the WebSphere Administrative Console if the administrative console is enabled on the test server.

To enable the administrative console:

  1. Select the Configuration tab in the server configuration editor.
  2. Select the Enable administration console checkbox.
  3. Restart the Test Server.
  4. Open a Web browser and point to http://localhost:9090/admin to access the administrative console.
  5. Enable tracing in the same way that it is enabled when running outside of WebSphere Studio Application Developer.
 
 
Cross Reference information
Segment Product Component Platform Version Edition
Application Servers Runtimes for Java Technology Java SDK
 
 


Document Information


Product categories: Software > Application Servers > Distributed Application & Web Servers > WebSphere Application Server > General
Operating system(s): Windows
Software version: 6.0
Software edition:
Reference #: 1254706
IBM Group: Software Group
Modified date: Feb 2, 2007