Logging
You can use logging to collect data related to all aspects of using BMC Atrium Orchestrator. You can use this information for debugging and troubleshooting.
Logging overview
When you install and set up BMC Atrium Orchestrator, logging is set up to record data for the grid and peers. You can change the level of logging, which controls how much data is collected in logs (see Logging levels). You can also set up additional logging.
This section provides an overview of the areas in which logging occurs by default, where you can add logging, and how the logging levels of some logs control logging information in other logs.
Process-related logging is available for several areas in BMC Atrium Orchestrator, such as the grid, peers, processes, or adapters. Sometimes logging levels for one area influence logs set up for other areas. The following table describes the logging that is available in BMC Atrium Orchestrator.
Logging area | Log name | Description | Where to set up or modify logging | Default logging level | Logging level impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
grid | processes.log | Logs process activities across the grid (for all peers in the grid). | In Grid Manager, from the Manage/Grids tab, Edit selected grid. See Editing-grids. | DEBUG | The logging level controls logging for the processes.log. It does not impact logging set up at the process level. For example, if you set up a log called testa.log for TestA process and you change the log level for processes.log to OFF:
The logging level for processes.log does influence the collection of data from any activity-level logs (see activity-level log information for details). |
peer | grid.log | Logs component activity on the specific peer. Logging is set for each component. The grid.log file does not include all process activities related to a process run. It includes information related to the peer components, which can be part of a process run, such as adapter calls and responses. | In Grid Manager, from the Manage/Peers tab, Edit selected peer, Configure Logging. See Editing-peers | WARN | The logging level for each component controls the logging for that component in the grid.log file. |
process | user-specified name | Logs process activities for a specific process. This is an optional logging feature that you can set up on individual processes in Development Studio. Logging information is collected in the user-specified log and in processes.log (based on the logging level set at the grid level). | In Development Studio, on Process Properties. | NA | There are no logging level controls for the user-specified log. The user-specified log file is not impacted by logging levels set at the grid level for processes.log. The information collected for the process in the processes.log file is controlled by the logging levels set at the grid level for processes.log. |
activity (in a process) | processes.log | Logs data for a specific activity in a process (including a message and its urgency level). Data can be logged for the point before or after the activity executes or at both points). Logs can be set up for each activity in a process. This is useful for debugging. When the process is run in Development Studio, the activity log information is written to the console as well as the processes.log. When the process is run on a peer, it is written to the processes.log. | In Development Studio, on Activity Property panel, Logging tab. See | DEBUG | The collection of activity log data in processes.log is determined by the logging levels set at the grid level and the activity level. The activity's log messages are written to processes.log only when the activity log level priority is greater than or equal to the logging level set for the grid where the process is executed. For example, if you set an activity's log level to info, the message will be written to the executing peer's processes.log file if the grid's logging level is set to debug or info, but not if the grid's logging level is set to warn or error. |
adapter | user-specified name | Logs adapter activities for a specific adapter. This is an optional logging feature that you can set up for an adapter when you configure it. Logging information is collected in the user-specified log. | In Grid Manager, from the Manage/Adapters tab, Configure adapter. See Configuring-adapters. | INFO | The user-specified log file is not impacted by Adapter component logging levels set at the peer level (for grid.log), nor is the grid.log file impacted by the user-specified log levels at the adapter level. These two logs are independent. For example, you have an AP peer that has the adapter component logging level set to WARNING and on that peer you have an active File Adapter with logging set up with a log level of DEBUG and the log file named file_adapter_test.log. The AP's grid.log file includes only WARNING level log messages for the File Adapter. The file_adapter_test.log file includes DEBUG level log messages, which is a larger set of messages. |
Logging levels
The following table describes the information provided at each logging level.
In general, this logging information applies everywhere you can control logging levels. There are some exceptions, such as the following:
- Some basic logging information may appear in the log regardless of the logging level. For example, in the processes.log, process starts and stops are logged regardless of the logging level.
- OFF is available as a logging level choice when it is appropriate. For example, it is not available for activity-level or adapter-level logging. You turn logging on or off for individual activites and adapters.
Logging level | Description |
|---|---|
DEBUG | The most detailed logging level; logs low-level messages, normal execution, recoverable erroneous conditions, and nonrecoverable erroneous conditions. |
INFO | Logs normal execution, recoverable erroneous conditions, and nonrecoverable erroneous conditions. |
WARN | Logs recoverable erroneous conditions and nonrecoverable erroneous conditions. |
ERROR | The least detailed logging level; logs only error conditions that are not usually recoverable. |
OFF | Turns off logging (such as process logging for the grid, component activity logging on the peer). Some basic logging may occur. |
Related topics
Log-files in the Troubleshooting section provides more information about logs, such as their locations and how to view them for troubleshooting purposes.
Installation-log-files provides details to help troubleshoot installation issues.
Enabling-custom-logging-with-custom-adapters describes how to set up logging when developing custom adapters (and is not intended for use with out-of-the-box adapters.