Application Logging for fun and profit. Houston TechFest 2012
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This document discusses logging for debugging applications. It begins by explaining why logging is useful, such as avoiding programming by coincidence and tracing user behavior. It then covers how to set up logging using frameworks like Log4Net and NLog. The document provides best practices for logging, such as relating messages to code and avoiding sensitive data. It concludes by discussing analyzing logs to learn from user behavior and improve applications.
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Application Logging for fun and profit. Houston TechFest 2012
- 1. Logging For Fun and Profit Jane Prusakova Jane.Prusakova@ImprovingEnter prises.com http://softwareandotherthings.blog spot.com Improving Enterprises Houston TechFest 09/08/2012 ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 2. Why How-to Using the results ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 3. Why logging? Enquiring minds want to know! Avoid programming-by-coincidence Trace what the users do See effects of Integration Multithreading High load ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 4. When to use logging? Greenfield development Brownfield development what came before the effect of changes Maintenance and troubleshooting trace bugs Bonus Evolve apps based on users behavior ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 5. Logging vs Debugging Set up once, always ready to use Minimum disruption to the flow Works locally and in the cloud Faster data collection Collected data is persisted ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 6. How-to Using the results ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 7. Yes, I want to setup logging! Pick a framework Proper configuration Consider ways to parse logs Logging will change with the application ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 8. Frameworks Log4net Nlog Apache BSD Logs arrays Integrates with MSMQ Configuration, log levels and categories, rotate log files, thread-safe logging. Support: online documentation, tutorials, online forums. ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 9. Planning and Strategy Enough and but not too much Preserve correctness readability of the code performance ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 10. Planning and Strategy (contd.) Database Files Easy to parse, Very hard to parse, hard to evolve easy to change Uses DB Requires FS connections access Can cause app Can fill up space crash ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 11. Best Practices Relate each message to generating point Code Data Format messages for readability Define .ToString on objects ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 12. More Best Practices Input and output Errors and exceptions Transitions Integration points Thread rendezvous ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 13. Practices to avoid Little information … // step 1 Logger.info(“did something”); … // ste 2 Logger.info(“did more work”); foreach (…) { … // useful work Logger.info(“working hard”); } ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 14. Practices to avoid (contd.) Long and boring ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 15. Practices to avoid (contd.) Side effects Logger.info(count++ “: did something”); Errors and exceptions Logger.info(m.GetValue()); ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 16. Using the results ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 17. You’ve got logs! Rotate logs: by size, by time Retention policy 2-level storage Provide access - read only! Transfer and analysis Warning: large datasets ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 18. Security and performance Moving and processing can impact performance Absolutely no sensitive data ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 19. Learning from the logs Never rely on eye-balling WYS is not WYG Aggregate data Distinguish common and rare ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 20. Tools Process datasets: line by line grep, Perl, awk, cut, tail, head with less memory vi, notepad++ ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 21. Logging For Fun and Profit Jane Prusakova Jane.Prusakova@ImprovingEnter prises.com http://softwareandotherthings.blog spot.com Improving Enterprises Houston TechFest 09/08/2012 ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 22. Upcoming Public Classes Object Oriented Design and Test Driven Development Oct. 1st – Oct. 4th Agile Development with TFS Oct. 8th – Oct. 11th Professional Scrum Master Oct. 16th – Oct. 17th Agile QA with TFS Oct. 24th – 26th Interested? Email training@improvingenterprises.com ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 23. Lunch and Learns / Assessments Lunch and Learns Have an Improver come to speak with your team on conceptual topics more targeted to your environment. Assessments Have an Improver assess your environment and lend some experience on technical topics. Interested? Contact – devlin.liles@improvingenterprises.com ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
- 24. Make it Happen in the Cloud: Windows Azure Developer Camp We will start with the basics and build on to more advanced topics, featuring hands-on labs for: Windows Azure Cloud Services Windows Azure SQL Database Windows Azure Virtual Machines Windows Azure Access Control Services Service Remoteing with Windows Azure Service Bus Presented by: Improving Enterprises When: October 22, 2012 9am-5pm Where: Microsoft Office Houston Registration: http://bit.ly/ImprovingAzure ©2010 Improving Enterprises, Inc.
Editor's Notes
- Shilpa: Without proper planning and clear strategy, the log messages produced by the system may not be useful for problem resolution.Effective logging is a balance between logging enough data to debug problems, while not dumping so much it confuses the issue.
- Shilpa: Without proper planning and clear strategy, the log messages produced by the system may not be useful for problem resolution.Effective logging is a balance between logging enough data to debug problems, while not dumping so much it confuses the issue.
- Both Log4net and Nlog are open source, free libraries. Well-used and well-loved, mature technologies, that are known to work very well. No option to buy corporate support, but there is plenty of free support from the user community available online.
- While I prefer to log to a file: More flexibility to change what is being loggedLogging doesn’t compete with the application for DB connectionsDB access is broken more often than file accessWhy you may choose to log to the DB: Easier to parse logsIt is possible to use Aspects to separate logging concerns from the application logic - for logs that are stable. If you use logging to trace problems as the application is being developed and maintained – putting logs with the code is simpler and helps to shorted the development cycle.
- While I prefer to log to a file: More flexibility to change what is being loggedLogging doesn’t compete with the application for DB connectionsDB access is broken more often than file accessWhy you may choose to log to the DB: Easier to parse logsIt is possible to use Aspects to separate logging concerns from the application logic - for logs that are stable. If you use logging to trace problems as the application is being developed and maintained – putting logs with the code is simpler and helps to shorted the development cycle.
- Go back to examples
- Go back to examples
- Unless step 1 or step 2 throw, we already know both will happen – no need to log the second.When putting loggin inside a loop, it’s helpful to record loop counter and the item being processed.
- It is important that logs are dense with information. If logging an object with no ToString method, it’s full type name will be printed – bad.Frameworks provide a way to post file and line from where logging is done – no need to do it in text.
- Shilpa: Without proper planning and clear strategy, the log messages produced by the system may not be useful for problem resolution.Effective logging is a balance between logging enough data to debug problems, while not dumping so much it confuses the issue.
- How to handle large log files,e.g Roll the files.... (zip them up after certain days etc....)
- A rare bug is harder to trace – and usually presents less of a problem to the business. When arbitraging future work, use logs to learn what users want.