Setting Trace Files

Trace files are useful for generating troubleshooting and debugging information. You can configure trace files to be generated for PS/nVision processes: each nVision process generates its own trace file with time stamped entries, making troubleshooting easier. You can set the trace level to specify how much detail the trace files will show.

By default, PS/nVision does not generate trace files because extensive tracing can affect system performance. You can enable tracing and determine the tracing level when you need debugging.

Tracing for PS/nVision on Windows

You configure tracing in PS/nVision on Windows using the Trace_Level setting in PeopleSoft Configuration Manager. The default value is 0.

See Understanding PeopleSoft Configuration Manager, Starting PeopleSoft Configuration Manager.

Tracing for PS/nVision on the Web

You configure PS/nVision tracing on the web using the Trace Level setting in the PeopleSoft Process Scheduler configuration file's nVision section. The default value is 0.

See Using PSADMIN with PeopleSoft Process Scheduler.

PS/nVision supports five tracing levels: 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4. The following table shows the level of tracing for each value.

Tracing Level

Description

0

No tracing; no log files are generated. This is the default setting.

1

The lowest level of tracing. With this setting, nVision generates basic, high-level process flow and status information. You can use this setting to check whether nVision was launched successfully and whether it can connect to Microsoft Excel and process requests. Some of the key entries in Level 1 settings are: Command Line arguments, Trace Level, Excel Process ID, Run Control Name, Report Name, Business Unit, Drill Layout, and Instance Name.

A common scenario for which to use this level is if a PS/nVision process exits immediately after processing.

2

This level contains entries from level 1 plus additional information. A high-level code flow is recorded with this setting.

3

This level includes tracing up to level 2 and SQL statements. For Microsoft Windows, PS/nVision runtime SQL can be displayed by selecting the Show Report SQL option from the nVision > Options menu. The same SQL statements will be written into the log file by changing the trace level to 3.

4

This level is the highest and includes tracing up to level 3 plus additional function calls, output values, and other detail information. You can use this setting for identifying intermittent problems and random behaviors.

In addition to the above trace levels, there are two additional levels available for extended nVision tracing for identifying critical issues at OpenXML engine level. These levels are available only for OpenXML mode. The following table shows the level of tracing for each value.

Tracing Level

Description

100

This enables extended nVision tracing for function level Entry Exit in OpenXML engine that logs the details of Line number, Function Name and File Name in the psnvs_%pid%.nvt trace file.

200

This level contains entries from level 100 and also generates stack trace of OpenXML engine. This generates two additional files in the log_output folder namely psnamsrv_stack.txt and psnvssrv_stack.txt 

Note: The extended nVision tracing is a tool for PeopleSoft product support to use for better supportability. We recommend that this feature be disabled in production mode.

The trace file's output filename has the format psnvs_[process ID of psnvs.exe].nvt. For example: psnvs_123.nvt. You can view the trace file from both Windows-based and web-based PS/nVision.

Note: The server module PSNVSOXML generates an .nxt trace file in the same location as the .nvt file. The .nxt trace file contains log information from the server module PSNVSOXML. The trace settings of PS/nVision are applicable to both .nvt and .nxt trace files. Naming convention of the .nxt file is psnvsoxml_[process ID of psnvs.exe].nxt; for example, psnvsoxml_123.nxt.

Viewing the Trace Files for PS/nVision on Windows

In Microsoft Windows PS/nVision, the trace file is generated in your system temporary directory; for example c:\temp\psnvs_123.nvt.

Note: PS/nVision does not delete files generated in tracing for Microsoft Windows PS/nVision. You can delete the trace files from the temporary directory to save disk space.

Viewing the Trace Files on the Web

On the web, because PeopleSoft Process Scheduler initiates all PS/nVision processes, it is also responsible for displaying PS/nVision trace information in the Process Monitor after PS/nVision reports are run to completion. The PS/nVision trace files are independent of the Process Scheduler's status of the report running, and are always posted regardless of your output types or formats. Trace files are secured by the same user list as the report, so only the same set of users can view them.

PS/nVision trace files are automatically purged when the reports are purged in the time frame that you have set from the Process Scheduler System Purge Option. You can view trace files from the View Trace/Log page in Process Monitor for your completed process instance.

To view a trace file:

  1. Select PeopleTools > Process Scheduler > Process Monitor.

  2. Find the process instance that runs your nVision report, and then click the Details link to access the Process Details page.

  3. Click the View/Trace Log link to access the Message Log page.

  4. Click the nVision Trace link to view the trace file.

    If Process Scheduler has restarted your nVision report running process, this procedure generates multiple nVision trace files (one for each retry).