showlog command

Service logs are logs written in a binary format. You cannot view a service log directly using a text editor. You should never directly edit the service log, as doing so will corrupt the log.

The WebSphere Application Server provides two tools that you can use to work with the service log

• Log Analyzer: This is GUI tool that is part of WebSphere Application Server toolkit


• showlog: This is command line tool that is shipped with WebSphere Application server

You can find the showlog tool inside the WebSphere/AppServer/bin folder. If you execute it without arguments it will print out help for that tool

c:\WebSphere\AppServer\bin>showlog.bat
This program dumps a Websphere binary log file to standard out or a file.
Usage: showlog [-format CBE-XML-1.0.1] binaryFilename [outputFilename]
where:
-format specifies the output format. Currently only CBE-XML-1.0.1 forma
t is supported (this complies with the Common Base Event specification version 1
.0.1). If no format is given, showlog outputs in a tabular format.

binaryFilename should be a binary log filename in the WASHOME/logs direc
tory or a fully-qualified binary log filename. showlog will not look in the cur
rent directory.

outputFilename is optional. If no filename is given, showlog dumps bina
ryFilename to standard out. Otherwise, outputFilename will be created in the cu
rrent directory unless it is a fully-qualified filename.


You can execute the showlog tool by using this command

C:\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\AppSrv01\bin>showlog.bat c:\WebSphere\
AppServer\profiles\AppSrv01\logs\activity.log c:\temp\activity.log


Wait for this command to finish execution then you can open the c:\temp\activity.log in text editor to look at the activity log. This is sample activity.log from my machine.


ExtendedMessage:
---------------------------------------------------------------
ComponentId: Application Server
ProcessId: 5492
ThreadId: 00000025
ThreadName: Non-deferrable Alarm : 5
SourceId: com.ibm.ws.Transaction.JTA.FailureScopeController
ClassName:
MethodName:
Manufacturer: IBM
Product: WebSphere
Version: Platform 6.1 [BASE 6.1.0.0 b0620.14]
ServerName: sunpatil-wxp02Node01Cell\sunpatil-wxp02Node01\server1
TimeStamp: 2009-06-29 12:47:44.836000000
UnitOfWork:
Severity: 3
Category: AUDIT
PrimaryMessage: WTRN0105I: The transaction service has shutdown successfully with no transactions requiring recovery.
ExtendedMessage:
---------------------------------------------------------------
ComponentId: Application Server
ProcessId: 5492
ThreadId: 00000025
ThreadName: Non-deferrable Alarm : 5
SourceId: com.ibm.ws.runtime.component.ServerCollaborator
ClassName:
MethodName:
Manufacturer: IBM
Product: WebSphere
Version: Platform 6.1 [BASE 6.1.0.0 b0620.14]
ServerName: sunpatil-wxp02Node01Cell\sunpatil-wxp02Node01\server1
TimeStamp: 2009-06-29 12:47:45.086000000
UnitOfWork:
Severity: 3
Category: AUDIT
PrimaryMessage: WSVR0024I: Server server1 stopped
ExtendedMessage:

796 records found and printed.


WebSphere Application Server Logs

WebSphere APplication server generates logs of three types. You can configure them using WAS Admin Console by going to Troubleshooting -> Logging and Tracing -> <servername>

• JVM Logs:The JVM logs are created by redirecting the System.out and System.err streams of the JVM to independent log files. The System.out log is used to monitor the health of the running application server. The System.err log contains exception stack trace information that is used to perform problem analysis. One set of JVM logs exists for each application server and all of its applications. JVM logs are also created for the deployment manager and each node manager


• Process Logs: The process logs are created by redirecting the standard out and standard error streams of a process to independent log files. Native code writes to the process logs. These logs can also contain information that relates to problems in native code or diagnostic information written by the JVM. One set of process logs is created for each application server and all of its applications. Process logs are also created for the deployment manager and each node manager.


• IBM Service Logs:The IBM service log contains both the application server messages that are written to the System.out stream and special messages that contain extended service information that you can use to analyze problems. One service log exists for all Java virtual machines (JVMs) on a node, including all application servers and their node agent, if present. A separate activity log is created for a deployment manager in its own logs directory. The IBM Service log is maintained in a binary format. Use the Log Analyzer or Showlog tool to view the IBM service log.

IBM Service log

The IBM Service log contains both the applications erver messages that are written to System.out stream and special messages that contain extended service information that can be used to analyze the problem. The IBM Service log is maintained in a binary format, so in order to view the activity.log file you will have to use either the command line based showlog tool that is shipped with WebSphere Application Server or use GUI based Log Analyzer tool that is shipped with WebSphere Application Server Toolkit.

One service log exists for all Java virtual machines (JVMs) on a node, including all application servers and their node agent, if present. A separate activity log is created for a deployment manager in its own logs directory.The activity log, by default, is a file named activity.log in the profile_home/logs directory. You can edit the settings for the activity log by selecting Troubleshooting > Logs and Trace > server_name > IBM Service Logs in the administrative console.



These are the settings that should be configured:

• Enable service log: If selected, enables the service log.


• File Name: Specifies the name of the service log.


• Maximum File Size: Specifies the number of megabytes to which the file can grow. When the file reaches this size, it begins replacing the oldest data with the newest data


• Enable Correlation ID: Specifies whether or not a correlation ID should be generated and included in message events.