Configuring logging

You can configure the logging levels, maximum log file size, and the maximum number of log files that are used by the mqweb server that hosts the IBM® MQ Console and REST API. You can configure logging by using the setmqweb command.

Before you begin

To complete this task, you must be a user with certain privileges so that you can use the dspmqweb and setmqweb commands:

• On z/OS®, you must have authority to run the dspmqweb and setmqweb commands, and write access to the mqwebuser.xml file.
• On all other operating systems, you must be a privileged user.
• If the mqweb server is part of a stand-alone IBM MQ Web Server installation, you must have write access to the mqwebuser.xml file in the IBM MQ Web Server data directory.

Attention:

Before you issue either the setmqweb or dspmqweb commands on z/OS, you must set the WLP_USER_DIR environment variable so that the variable points to your mqweb server configuration.

To set the WLP_USER_DIR environment variable, issue the following command:

export WLP_USER_DIR=WLP_user_directory

where WLP_user_directory is the name of the directory that is passed to crtmqweb. For example:

export WLP_USER_DIR=/var/mqm/web/installation1

For more information, see Create the mqweb server.

Attention:

Before you issue either the setmqweb or dspmqweb commands in a stand-alone IBM MQ Web Server installation, you must set the MQ_OVERRIDE_DATA_PATH environment variable to the IBM MQ Web Server data directory.

• View the current configuration of the REST API logging by using the following command:

  dspmqweb properties -a

  • The maxTraceFileSize field shows the maximum log file size
  • The maxTraceFiles field shows the maximum number of log files
  • The traceSpec field shows the level of trace that is used
  • The maxMsgTraceFileSize field shows the maximum messaging trace file size
  • The maxMsgTraceFiles field shows the maximum number of messaging trace files
• Configure the maximum size of the messages.log and trace.log files:
  • Set the maximum log file size by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxTraceFileSize -v size

    where size specifies the size, in MB, that each log file can reach.

  • Reset the maximum log file size to the default value of 20 MB by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxTraceFileSize -d

• Configure the maximum number of the messages.log and trace.log files:
  • Set the maximum number of each log file by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxTraceFiles -v max

    where max specifies the maximum number of files.

  • Reset the maximum number of each log file to the default value of 2 by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxTraceFiles -d

• Configure the maximum messaging trace file size:
  • Set the maximum messaging trace file size by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxMsgTraceFileSize -v size

    where size specifies the size, in MB, that each messaging trace file can reach.

  • Reset the maximum messaging trace file size to the default value of 200 MB by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxMsgTraceFileSize -d

• Configure the maximum number of messaging trace files to use:
  • Set the maximum number of files to use for messaging trace by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxMsgTraceFiles -v max

    where max specifies the maximum number of files.

  • Reset the maximum number of files to use for messaging trace to the default value of 5 by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k maxMsgTraceFiles -d

• Configure the level of trace that the mqweb server writes:
  • Set the trace specification that is used by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k traceSpec -v level

    where level is one of the values that are listed in Table 1. The table outlines the logging levels, ordered by increasing level of detail. When you enable a logging level, you also enable each level before it. For example, if you enable the *=warning logging level, you also enable *=severe, and *=fatal logging levels.

    Change this value when requested by IBM Support.

  • Reset the trace specification that is used to the default value of *=info by using the following command:

    setmqweb properties -k traceSpec -d

  Table 1. Valid logging levels

  Value	Logging level applied
  *=off	Logging is turned off.
  *=fatal	Task cannot continue and component, application, and server cannot function.
  *=severe	Task cannot continue but component, application, and server can still function. This level can also indicate an impending unrecoverable error.
  *=warning	Potential error or impending error. This level can also indicate a progressive failure (for example, the potential leaking of resources).
  *=audit	Significant event affecting server state or resources
  *=info	General information outlining overall task progress
  *=config	Configuration change or status
  *=detail	General information detailing subtask progress
  *=fine	Trace information - General trace + method entry, exit, and return values
  *=finer	Trace information - Detailed trace
  *=finest	Trace information - A more detailed trace that includes all the detail that is needed to debug problems
  *=all	All events are logged