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6.6.19: Administering the product messages, logs, and traces (overview) >
6.6.19.1: Administering the product messages, logs, and traces

6.6.19.1: Administering the product messages, logs, and traces

The Application Server product provides various levels of information, from high-level messages in the console to more detailed server execution logs and comprehensive tracing.

The remainder of this article, and associated article in section 6.6.19.1, describe how to use the following access points to configure messages and tracing.

Quick summary of trace access points:

  • Message filtering
  • Console -> Trace -> Enabled menu option
  • Console -> Trace -> Settings menu option
  • The Trace Service on the Services tabbed page of application server properties
  • The Trace... menu option when you right-click a running administrative node instance, which displays the trace dialog box

For extensive information about logs, traces, and messages, see the Problem Determination section of the InfoCenter (section 8).

Accessing the trace service configuration

  1. Locate the application server properties dialog.
  2. When the application server properties are displayed in the properties view, click the Services tabbed page.
  3. Locate the trace service in the list of services.

General approach to tracing a problem

You should not need to trace IBM WebSphere Application Server unless directed to do so by IBM support personnel. In case you would like to perform your own tracing, here is a procedure:

  1. Determine the activity during which the problem usually occurs.

  2. Configure the server to take a trace, using one of the options described below: dumping the server trace or tracing a server from startup.
  3. Perform the activity during which the problem usually occurs.

  4. After the problem occurs, gather the trace information as appropriate. (For example, dump the contents of the ring buffer to a file).

  5. Optionally, analyze the trace output and speculate which server classes or components are involved in the problem. Repeat the procedure, this time narrowing the scope of the trace to just those components, isolating the problem area.

Dump the server trace to a file

Sometimes the administrator might find it useful to take a trace on a server process that is already running. The administrator will use the trace dialog box to select the server components to trace. After the administrator has enabled trace, the trace output will be routed to the in-memory ring buffer. The contents of the ring buffer can then be dumped to a file when the trace is completed.

  1. Access the trace service as described previously.

  2. In the trace dialog box, specify the classes to trace. Verify the dump file name.
  3. Now or later, click the Dump button.

    To isolate the activity you are trying to trace, you might want to delay clicking the Dump button until after the server performs the activity. See the general trace approach section above for more details about this strategy.

Trace an administrative server from startup

To trace an administrative server from the time that it starts, modify its properties related to tracing:

  1. Open the admin.config file in the bin directory of the WebSphere Application Server installation root.

  2. Set the traceString property to specify the server classes to trace. For valid syntax, see the trace properties help.

  3. Set the traceOutput property to specify the file to which to send the trace data. For valid syntax, see the server trace properties help.

  4. Save the file.

  5. Start the server (or stop it and start it again) for the new trace parameters to take effect.

Trace an application server from startup

To trace an application server from the time that it starts, modify its properties related to tracing:

  1. In the tree view, locate and click the application server to display its properties on the right side of the console.

  2. Set the trace-related properties. Consult the server trace properties help for syntax.

  3. Save the property changes.

  4. Start the server (or stop it and start it again) for the new trace parameters to take effect.

Finding trace output

The administrator specifies the location of trace output for various servers. The table summarizes where to find trace output:

Type of output Property that specifies location
Application or administrative server dump Trace dialog box
Administrative server trace traceOutput property in admin.config file in bin directory of product installation root
Application server trace Trace output file property of the application server
Go to previous article: Server trace properties Go to next article: Administering messages with the Java administrative console

 

 
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