Sun Java System Application Server 9.1 Troubleshooting Guide

Examine Log Files

A number of the Application Server subsystems create log files and log their events to these files. The primary purpose of these log files is to provide troubleshooting information.

In addition to the message text, a logged message provides the following information:

Log Levels

The Application Server has many log levels that can be set in the Administration GUI (FINEST, FINER, FINE, CONFIG, INFO, WARNING, SEVERE, ALERT, and FATAL). All messages are logged when the log level is set to FINEST and only serious error messages appear if the log level is set to FATAL.

Note that the more detailed log levels (FINEST, FINER, FINE) can generate high volumes of log information for certain events, which may make it appear at first glance that there is an error condition when in fact there is not.

All messages with a log level less than the default level of INFO (FINEST, FINER, FINE, and CONFIG) provide information related to debugging and must be specifically enabled. Instructions for doing this are contained in the Sun Java System Application Server Administrator's Guide.

In addition to the standard JDK log levels, the Application Server has added log levels designed to map more intuitively to the Application Server log file (server.log) and to tightly integrate with Solaris. The log levels ALERT and FATAL are specific to the Application Server and are not implemented in the JDK1.4 logging API.


Note –

For information on the event log mechanism used in the Microsoft Windows operating environment, refer to the Windows help system index using the keywords Event Logging. If you choose to send logs to the Windows server.log file, only messages with a log level of INFO, WARNING, SEVERE, ALERT, or FATAL are logged to the Windows Event Log.


Log Options

The Administration GUI provides the following two logging options:

Client Side Logging

The Application Client Container (ACC) has its own log service and can only log to a local file. The ACC typically runs in its own process, on a different host from the Application Server. It has its own logging infrastructure and its own log file. The sun-acc.xml file contains the ACC configuration. Refer to the Sun Java System Application Server Application Server Developer's Guide to Clients for more information.

Obtaining a Thread Dump

This section explains how to obtain a thread dump for Application Server 9.1. By default, the server dumps a core file and restarts with the -Xrs java-option flag in the server.xml file.

On UNIX

The following procedure describes how to obtain a server thread dump on UNIX.

ProcedureTo obtain a server thread dump on UNIX

  1. Verify that the server.xml file for the affected server instance does not include the -Xrs java-option flag. Remove the -Xrs java-option flag if it exists.

  2. If the option is changed, restart the server instance.

  3. Use the ps command to determine the java and/or appservDAS processes under which the application server is running.

  4. Run the following command on the application server instance:


    kill -3 pid
    

    The kill command redirects the thread dump to the server.log file for server the instance.

On Windows

The following procedure describes how to obtain a server thread dump on Windows.

ProcedureTo obtain a server thread dump on Windows

  1. Verify that the server.xml file for your server instance does not include the -Xrs java-option flag. Remove the -Xrs java-option flag if it exists.

  2. If the option was changed, restart your Application Server.

  3. Type ctrl-brk in the Application Server window. The thread dump will be redirected to the server.log file for the instance.