Logging OverviewLast Updated: 02/15/2016 Introduced in Verision: 2.2 |
This tutorial demonstrates how to write into the Log file, manage Logs, and create custom Categories for Logs. Log step in Decisions can be used for debugging purposes in the Workflow. This step can be found in the Flow Designer ToolBox > Flow Management > Debugging category.
Example:
In this example we will create a simple Flow with a Log step to overview how this step can be used and configured.
We begin in the Designer Folder with clicking Create Flow button on the Folder Actions Panel.
Then, we Name the Flow and click Create to proceed to the Flow Designer.
In the Flow Designer we add Log step from the All Steps [Catalog] > Flow Management > Debugging category.
Next, we connect the outcome from the Log step to the End Step in our Flow, and select Log step on the workspace to configure it.
First, we can setup a Log level from the Type setting. The options are: Debug, Info, Warn, Error, Fatal.
With Category setting we can either define the Existing Log Category for this step to write to or create a New Log Category by typing a desirable Name in the Category setting text-box.
In the Inputs section we configure the Message that this Log step will write into the Log file. It can be either constant Value or data from the Flow. In our example we are using Text Merge.Plain Mapping type and click Show Editor to compose message.
In the Merge Text Editor we simply compose the message for our Log step using constant text and FlowTrackingId value from the Flow Data. Click Ok to save and continue.
This completes our Flow. We can click Debug Flow link on the top panel of the Flow Designer to test our Flow.
Note that in Decisions version 3.5 and above, you’ll need to click Test Flow to access the Debugger.
Flow executes in the Debugger with no errors.
The Log step in our Flow writes message to the Primary log file. Primary log file is located in C:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Services Manager\Logs folder (in default Decisions installation).
If we open Primary Log file we can find our Message from the Log step…
When we set up the Log step in the Flow we have created a new ‘My New Custom Category’ for Log messages. Log Categories are powerful in organizing Log messages. Categories can be configured and created in the LogCategorySettings file that is located in C:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Services Manager\ folder.
LogCategorySettings file looks as following… We can set the Log levels or Enable Logs of in this category to be written to the separate file by changing ‘false’ value to ‘true’.
For this example we enable our new category to write to the separate file.
To test this, we return back to the Portal, locate our Flow, and from the Action menu on the thumbnail we click Run Flow.
Then, we navigate to the C:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Services Manager\Logs folder and locate ‘My New Custom Category’ log file that was created with the Log step in our Flow.
This file contains the Log message that we saw in the Primary log file previously.
Logging can be configured in Settings.xml file that is located in C:\Program Files\Decisions\Decisions Services Manager\ folder…
Additionally, in the Portal there is a Logging Folder that locates in the System > Administration > System Tools Folder. It contains Server Log Viewer and Client Log Viewer.
From Actions Menu for this Folder we can Enable or Disable Server Log Categories.
The Enable/Disable Server Log Categories window looks as following…
The Client Log Viewer displays client side Logs…
We can also Enable/Disable Client Log Categories in Folder Actions Menu…
Enable/Disable Client Log Categories window looks as following…
