Configuring trace logging at different levels within IBM FileNet Content Engine Server’s topological hierarchy

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FileNet Enterprise Manager (FEM) is used to turn trace logging on or off. The trace logging configuration is persisted in an instance of the “TraceLoggingConfiguration (TLC)” object within the GCD. An instance of this object can be attached to a Domain (highest), Site, Virtual Server (cluster of one or more servers), or Server Instance (lowest) level. Its active instance is based on the instance’s existence at the lowest level, meaning the instance of TLC at the Server Instance level will take precedence over one at the Virtual Server; a TLC at the Virtual Server level will take precedence over one at the Site level and so on. When IBM FileNet Content Engine Server is first initialized, a default TLC instance will exist at the Domain level (as is the case for all Subsystem Configuration objects).

The output log for a given server will be written to a unique sub-directory under the output location specified by the trace logging configuration object. The default location of trace log file is application server specific and is essentially a function of the JVM's working directory. Here are the default locations where trace files are produced for each application server.

1. WebSphere - install_root/profiles/<profile-name>/FileNet/<server-name>/p8_server_trace.log
2. WebLogic - install_root/user_projects/domains/<domain-name>/FileNet/<server-name>/p8_server_trace.log
3. JBoss - install_root/bin/FileNet/<server-name>/p8_server_trace.log

Sometimes problems occur during system startup that prevent using FEM to configure logging. Thus, all trace logging values can be configured using standard log4j configuration files. See tech note:Configure tracing for IBM FileNet Content Engine using log4j for more details.

To see details of a TLC instance stored at particular level, go to that node in FEM, right click on it and click on properties. Go to the properties tab and locate the property "Subsytem Configurations" and expand the combo box to see the list of Subsystem Configuration instances. Locate the "Trace Logging Configuration" object and click on it to bring up the "Trace Logging Configuration Properties". Go to the Properties tab to see the detail of TLC. The example below shows the TLC at the Domain level.

Configuring Trace Logging at Domain Level

As mentioned above, by default a TLC instance exists at the Domain level. To enable trace logging, open properties of a Domain in FEM and go to the Trace Control tab. Click Enable Trace Logging and select the appropriate sub-systems.

Configuring Trace Logging at Site Level

Trace Logging already enabled at Domain level:

Open the properties of a Site in FEM and go to the Trace Control tab. If trace logging is already enabled at Domain level, it will show logging enabled and the Configuration Source as [Domain Name] as shown below. To create a new TLC instance at the Site level, check the “Override inherited settings” check box.

Trace Logging not enabled at Domain level:

In case trace logging is not enabled at the Domain level, open the properties of a Site in FEM and go to the Trace Control tab and click Enable Trace Logging, hit apply and ok. This will create a new TLC instance at the Site level as shown below. The Configuration Source will change to “This Object” meaning that this Site’s TLC is the currently active instance of the TLC object.

This TLC instance will take precedence over one configured at the Domain level. So even if trace logging is disabled eventually at the Site level and is enabled at Domain level, trace logging will stay disabled for this Site.

To go back to using the Domain level TLC instance, uncheck the “Override inherited settings” check box (shown in red above) on the Trace Control tab in Site properties instead of disabling it. After that the Configuration Source should change to [Domain Name] as shown below.

Note: If there are multiple sites configured in this P8 Domain, and the other sites did NOT have their inherited settings overridden, the TLC settings from the Domain level TLC instance would be in effect.

Configuring Trace Logging at Virtual Server Level

Trace Logging already enabled at Domain/Site level:

If trace logging is enabled at the Domain or Site level, go to the Trace Control tab of the properties for the appropriate Virtual Server node, check the “Override inherited settings” check box to enable tracing at Virtual Server level. If trace logging is enabled at Domain level, the Configuration Source will show “Configuration Source: [Domain Name]” and if enabled at Site level, the Configuration Source will show “Configuration Source: [Domain Name]/ [Site Name]".

Example below shows trace logging enabled at Site level.

Trace Logging not enabled at Domain/Site level:

If trace logging is not enabled at the Domain or Site level, go to the Trace Control tab of the properties for a Virtual Server node, and click the “Enable Trace Logging” button to enable tracing at the Virtual Server level.

As mentioned above, the TLC instance at this level will take precedence over TLC instances at the Site or Domain level. After enabling trace logging at the Virtual Server level the Configuration Source will change to “This Object” as shown below. To go back to using the Domain or Site level TLC instances, uncheck the “Override inherited settings” check box.

Note: If there are multiple virtual servers configured in this P8 Domain, and the other virtual servers did NOT have their inherited settings overridden, the TLC settings from the Domain or Site level TLC instances would be in effect.

Configuring Trace Logging at Server Instance Level

Trace Logging already enabled at Domain/Site/Virtual Server level:

If trace logging is already enabled, the Configuration Source on trace control tab of the properties for a Server Instance will show [Domain Name] or [Domain Name]/ [Site Name] or [Domain Name]/ [Site Name]/[Virtual Server Node Name], if trace logging is enabled at Domain, Site or Virtual Server level respectively.

Trace Logging not enabled at Domain/Site/Virtual Server level:

In this case, click the “Enable Trace Logging” button on the Trace Control tab of the properties for a Server Instance in Enterprise Manager. Hit apply and ok. If there are multiple server instances in the Virtual Server and logging is enabled on only one Server Instance, the Server Instance where it is not enabled will not produce any logs if none of its parent Virtual Server, Site or Domain level TLC instances were enabled for trace logging.

As mentioned above, the TLC instance at this level will take precedence over TLC instances at the Domain, Site or Virtual Server levels. To go back to using the Domain, Site or Virtual Server level TLC instances, uncheck the “Override inherited settings” check box.

The following view from the FileNet Enterprise Manager can also be used to determine the active instance of TLC.