The material in this article was originally published as part of an IBM Redbooks® publication, eClient 101 Customization and Integration. It has been updated to include details for eClient, Version 8, Release 3, Fixpack 8.

Isolating problems

Content Manager eClient is a complex application. You have to install and configure many products before you are able to launch the logon window. For this scenario, the following products have been installed and configured:

• WebSphere® Application Server
• IBM HTTP Server
• IBM DB2 Information Integrator for Content
• IBM DB2 Content Manager eClient

In such a complex environment, it is extremely important to isolate the problem while you are doing troubleshooting. For example, if you have problems in the Web server but you are troubleshooting in the WebSphere Application Server, the problem will never be resolved. Before you can fix a problem, you have to identify which product or products cause the problem.

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Trace eClient

This section shows you an eClient trace file. To modify the eClient trace level, you need to edit the cmblogconfig.properties file.

1. Open cmblogconfig.properties located in ${IBMCMROOT}/cmgmt/connector using a text editor.

   Tip: Make a backup of cmblogconfig.properties before you make any modifications.

2. Modify the value of parameter DKeClientLogLevel to DEBUG. The default log priority setting is DKeClientLogLevel=ERROR. The priorities are shown in Table 1.

The Content Manager eClient is built with the java API. In most circumstances, problems with the eClient can be attributed to problems connecting to the library server or problems accessing the Resource Manager.

To create the log file, the following example goes through a login process and deliberately supplies the wrong password information:

1. Stop the eClient_Server application server (Server1 in version 8.4).
2. Delete every file in the C:\\Program Files\\IBM\\db2cmv8\\log\\eclient directory.
3. Start the eClient_Server application server.
4. Open a Web browser and enter the URL http://localhost/eclient/IDMInit to display the eClient logon window.
5. Enter the username icmadmin and the password: password to log on. Note that the password is incorrect.
6. A message window pops up and indicates that an incorrect user ID, password, or server name has been entered.
7. Open the eClient log file, which in this case is C:\Program Files\IBM\db2cmv8\log\eclient\eClientTrace.txt. You should see the content of the sample log file shown in Example 1:
   
   Example 1. eClient log file eClientTrace.log
   

   [LOC]: com.ibm.mm.beans.util.CMBTraceLog:error [MSG]: icmadmin icmnlsdb com.ibm.idm.servlets.IDMConnection.connect com.ibm.mm.beans.CMBConnectFailedException: DGL0394A: Error in : DKDatastoreICM.connect; [SERVER = icmnlsdb, USERID = icmadmin]; ICM7172: The password provided is invalid for this user ID, or it is NULL. (STATE) : [LS RC = 7172, LS reasonCode = 9]

   
   

Note that <hostname>.dklog.log file is also available in the C:\Program Files\IBM\db2cmv8\log\connectors directory. The <hostname>.dklog.log file is discussed in the next section.

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Trace the Information Integrator for Content Java API

eClient is built on top of the Information Integrator Java APIs. The logging and tracing mechanism in Information Integrator also provides valuable information while you troubleshoot problems in eClient.

When you run an application that is written in the Information Integrator for Content Java API -- in this case, it is eClient -- the Information Integrator for Contentlog file <hostname>.dklog.log resides in the current working directory. For eClient, the working directory is defined by the WorkingDir parameter in the cmblogconfig.properties file, as discussed in the Trace eClient section. By default, it is C:\Program Files\IBM\db2cmv8\log\connectors.

Configure the log manager

The Information Integrator for Content Java API has two log managers: the default and LOG4J. You can configure and use only one of them at a time. The same configuration file, cmblogconfig.properties, is used to control which log manager type is used and how to configure them. By default, the file resides in the C:\Program Files\IBM\db2cmv8\cmgmt\connectors directory. This section discusses how to configure the default log manager.

There are eight sections in the cmblogconfig.properties file:

SECTION 0 -- Global settings

This section specifies the key(s) used to control the internal behavior of the logging facility, regardless which log manager (default log manager or log4J) you are using.

SECTION 1 -- Log manager factory setting

The key DKLogManagerFactory specifies which log manager facility is to be used.

SECTION 2 -- Set up your default log manager

When you start more than one Java Virtual Machine (JVM), the log priority setting has only local impact.

The parameter DKLogPriorit specifies the Log Priority. Its values are defined in Table 4. By default, it is set to ERROR.

SECTION 3 -- Log output destination setting

The key DKLogOutputSetting specifies the log output destination. The key allows only one destination. By default, it is set to 1.

DKLogOutputFileName and DKLogOutputFileSize. The parameter DKLogOutputFileName specifies the log file name to be used. The default name is dklog.log. The parameter DKLogOutputFileSize specifies the log file size limit before the log file is rolled over to a backup copy. The log file size is in MB. The default log file size is 5 MB. If the log file size is set to 0, the log file will keep being appended and never get to be rolled over. The rolled-over backup file name is constructed by appending the suffix .sav to the log output file name.

Sample log file

Use the same scenario as generating the eClient log file from the last section. You will find that there is also such an error message in dklog.log file when you input the incorrect password to log onto eClient.

[EXC]: 09/04/2008 GMT @ (9.181.142.166); com.ibm.mm.sdk.common.DKLogonFailure 
# com.ibm.mm.sdk.logtool.DKLogManager_Log4J
[USR]: xuguang (C:\Documents and Settings\jianglijun) @ 
C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\default
[THD]: WebContainer : 1 ( 64f0b080 )
[THG]: main = { Deferred Alarm Manager, Non-Deferred Alarm Manager, 
Approximate Time Keeping Thread, Thread-5, Thread-6, Alarm : 0, Alarm : 1,
LT=0:P=194266:O=0:port=4793, DCS Plugin Delivery Thread, LT=1:P=194266:O=0:port=2811, 
ServerSocket[addr=0.0.0.0/0.0.0.0,port=0,localport=8882],
PoolScavenger0, LocalNotificationServiceDispatcher : 2, Thread-13, 
Thread-14, Thread-15, Inbound Read Selector.1, Inbound Write Selector.1, 
Shared TCPChannel NonBlocking Accept Thread, 
Thread-20, HAManager.thread.pool : 0, Thread-21, Inbound Read Selector.1, 
WebContainer : 0, WebContainer : 1, WebContainer : 2, Inbound Write Selector.1, 
NotificationServiceDispatcher : 6, HAManager.thread.pool : 1, }
[LOC]: com.ibm.mm.sdk.server.DKDatastoreICM:logon
[MSG]: DGL0394A: Error in : DKDatastoreICM.connect; 
[SERVER = icmnlsdb, USERID = icmadmin]; 
ICM7172: The password provided is invalid for this user ID, or it is NULL. 
(STATE) : [LS RC = 7172, LS reasonCode = 9]
    at com.ibm.mm.sdk.server.DKDatastoreICM.logon(DKDatastoreICM.java:3875)
    at com.ibm.mm.sdk.server.DKDatastoreICM.connect(DKDatastoreICM.java:3429)
    at com.ibm.mm.beans.CMBConnection.connect(CMBConnection.java:1700)
    at com.ibm.idm.servlets.IDMConnection.connect(IDMConnection.java:588)
    at com.ibm.idm.servlets.IDMConnection.doGet(IDMConnection.java:1414)
    at com.ibm.idm.servlets.IDMConnection.doPost(IDMConnection.java:1502)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:763)
    at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:856)
    at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.servlet.ServletWrapper.service(ServletWrapper.java:1212)
    at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.WebContainer.handleRequest(WebContainer.java:1657)
    at com.ibm.ws.webcontainer.channel.WCChannelLink.ready(WCChannelLink.java:77)
    at com.ibm.ws.tcp.channel.impl.WorkQueueManager.attemptIO(WorkQueueManager.java:601)
    at com.ibm.ws.tcp.channel.impl.WorkQueueManager.workerRun(WorkQueueManager.java:934)
    at com.ibm.ws.tcp.channel.impl.WorkQueueManager$Worker.run(WorkQueueManager.java:1021)
    at com.ibm.ws.util.ThreadPool$Worker.run(ThreadPool.java:1332)

      

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Additional trace information

Since eClient is a WebSphere Application Server, you can obtain additional information through the WebSphere logging mechanism. By default, the WebSphere log files for eClient are in the C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\default\logs\eClient_Server directory.

If you have problems displaying the eClient logon window, it is possible that the Web server has problems or has not even started. In this case, the Web server log files and Web server plug-in log files may present tips for you to identify the problem. By default, these log files reside in both the C:\Program Files\IBM HTTP Server\logs and C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\logs directories. In the C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\AppServer\profiles\default\logs directory, pay special attention to the activity.txt, and in the C:\Program Files\IBM\WebSphere\Plugins\logs\webserver1 directory, pay special attention to http_plugin.txt files.

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Debug your application

In addition to tracing, you can debug your applications using programming and external third-party tools.

Debug Java code using stdout

One way of debugging your Java source code, whether it is in a custom servlet, a custom Java file, or Java code in a JSP, is by writing messages to the stdout file using the System.out.println() method. For example:

String myVariable = "test";
System.out.println("The value of test is '" + myVariable + "'");
      

The output from this code goes to the stdout file.

If you use IBM Rational® Software Development Platform, the stdout output goes to the console that can be viewed in the IBM Rational Software Development Platform Web perspective.

If you are running in the standard eClient, the location of the stdout file is controlled by WebSphere. The default location is C:\Program Files\IBM\db2cmv8\log\eclient\eClient_Server_stdout.log.

To check or change the location of stdout, run the WebSphere Administrative Console. Be sure to stop your IBM Rational Software Development Platform test environment and start the WebSphere server1 service before trying to run the standard WebSphere Administrative Console. They cannot be run at the same time. When the Administrative Console is up, select Troubleshooting > Logs and Trace > eClient_Server. You can modify the location of stdout from that window.

Debug JavaScript code

Because JavaScript runs in a Web browser, you cannot use System.out.println() to debug as you would for Java code in your JSP. The following are two methods of debugging JavaScript:

1. Use the alert() statement

   In most cases, adding alert() calls in the JavaScript code embedded in your JSP files is adequate for debugging. The alert() statement displays a message box containing the text that you pass into the function. You can place these messages in the JavaScript contained in the JSP to trace the execution path and display the values of variables.

2. Use the JavaScript debugging facilities of your browser

   Microsoft Internet Explorer has a facility for debugging JavaScript code built into it, as does Netscape Navigator. "Debugging client-side scripts" or "JavaScript debugger" can be used for JavaScript debug.

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Conclusion

Part 8 of this series guided you through how to troubleshoot an eClient application and II4C when you meet error messages during the run time. It also showed you the debugging method on both Java code and JavaScript. By analysing the log files, you can determine cause of the problem. It also included instruction on how to configure the parameters in the cmblogconfig.properties file.

Resources

Learn

• developerWorks Enterprise Content Management zone: Read articles and tutorials and connect to other resources to expand your skills on IBM Content Manager and other Enterprise Content Management products.
  
  
• developerWorks Information Management zone: Learn more about DB2. Find technical documentation, how-to articles, education, downloads, product information, and more.
  
  
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Get products and technologies

• Build your next development project with IBM trial software, available for download directly from developerWorks.
  
  
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Discuss

• Participate in developerWorks blogs and get involved in the developerWorks community.
  
  

About the authors

Xu Guang works as a Content Manager eClient developer in IBM China Software Development Lab (CSDL).

Wei-Dong (Jackie) Zhu is a Project Leader in Content Management for the International Technical Support Organization at the Almaden Research Center in San Jose, Calif. She has more than 10 years of software development experience in document search systems, image workflow processing, and digital media distribution. She holds a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California.

Mike Grasselt has been with the IBM Germany Development Lab in Boeblingen since 1997 working on OS/390, Java projects, and education. He is a technical lead for the Information Mining feature of Information Integrator for Content.

Alan Mayer is an I/T Architect in IBM Global Services in U.S. He has 10 years of experience implementing Content Manager for various clients. His areas of expertise include application development and document imaging.

Lijing Zhang is a software engineer for IBM. He has worked for IBM since 2001 in the Content Management field. His areas of expertise include Content Manager, Information Integrator for Content, and VideoCharger. He is a co-author of the "Content Manager V8 Certification Study Guide."

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Table of contents

• Isolating problems
• Trace eClient
• Trace the Information Integrator for Content Java API
• Additional trace information
• Debug your application
• Conclusion
• Resources
• About the authors
• Comments

Next steps from IBM

• Try: DB2 Enterprise
• Demo: DB2 serving ATOM feed
• Webcast: A smarter way to successful SOA - Information as a trusted strategic asset
• Briefing: Information on Demand
• Buy: DB2 Enterprise

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