Defining Log File Creation Policies

A log file creation policy enables you to periodically archive the current log and start a new log file. Log file creation policies can be defined for Directory Server and Directory Proxy Server from the Directory Control Center or using the command-line utilities.

When defining a log file creation policy, consider the following:

• How many logs do you want to keep?

  When this number of logs is reached, the oldest log file in the folder is deleted before a new log is created. If this value is set to 1, the logs are not rotated and grow indefinitely.

• What is the maximum size, in Megabytes, for each log file?

  When a log file reaches this maximum size or the maximum age defined in the next item, the file is archived. A new log file is started.

• How often should the current log file be archived?

  The default is every day.

• At what time of day should log files be rotated?

  Time-based rotation makes operations like log analysis and trending easier, because each log file covers the same time period.

Log file rotation can also be based on a combination of criteria. For example, you can specify that logs be rotated at 23h30 only if the file size is greater than 10 Megabytes.

For details on how to set up a log file creation policy, see Configuring Logs for Directory Server in Sun Java System Directory Server Enterprise Edition 6.2 Administration Guide.