6.3 Viewing the HTTP Log and Changing the HTTP Logging Controls

When instructed by Novell Support, you can click the Turn Debug Screen On button on the Novell Remote Manager Configuration Options page under the Novell Remote Manager HTTP Logging Controls heading to help debug a problem with the httpstk module. When you click this button, you should also click the Turn Logger On button.

The debug console screen journals debug information for the HTTP stack running on the server. This log shows every connection to your server and shows which pages are accessed, along with a time stamp. You can view information on every instance of any request from a workstation. By clicking the Turn Logger On button, you turn on the HTTP logging function.

The log file contains the following information: an entry number; the date and time stamp in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT); host name; the program making the call; the level of the call (whether it's done by the server or by users); and a description of the entry itself with information including the IP address of the source machine making the request, messages, status, etc.

A plain text file of the log resides at sys:\httplog.txt; however, the information is much easier to understand when viewed using the View Current HTTP Log File option because it is formatted as a table. Also, this file is not viewable while the logging is turned on unless you view it in Novell Remote Manager.

To view the file in its raw form, logging must be turned off so the file is no longer open.

Table 6-3 Tasks and Procedures for Viewing the HTTP Logs and Changing Logging Controls

To

Do This

View detailed information about the access to your server that was made using the HTTP command

Click the View button for the View Current HTTP Log File option.

NOTE:If logging has been turned off, clicking this button turns it on.

Clear the current log and begin a new one.

Click the Reset button for the Reset Current HTTP Log File option.

HINT:Restarting the log is useful if you have made a configuration change to your server and want to begin a new logging session.

Change whether only errors or all requests are logged to the file.

Toggle the Log Only Errors to Log File option setting by clicking Yes or No.

Clicking Yes logs error only. Clicking No logs all requests.

HINT:When logging only errors to the file, it takes much longer to fill the file to its maximum size; however, casual access to the server is not tracked.

Change the size of the log from the default size of 8 MB

Type the new value in the HTTP Log File Rollover Size (in Megabytes) field and click Apply.

IMPORTANT:Nothing is written to this file unless logging is turned on.

  • If the available space on volume sys: is limited, you can limit the log file to a smaller size.

  • If you want to gather more information in the log file over a longer period of time, you can increase the rollover size.

  • When the file is full, the file is deleted and restarted. Automatic rollover guarantees that if logging is on, the log file always reflects the most recent activity on the server.