Cognos 8 Server System Logging

Cognos 8 Log Files
(Excerpt from Cognos 8 BI Troubleshooting Guide)
Log files help troubleshoot problems by recording the activities that take place. Operations performed in Cognos 8 are recorded in various log files for
tracking purposes. For example, during installation of Cognos 8, consult the
transfer log file to learn what activities the installation wizard performed while transferring files.
Before log files are been viewed, ensure that they contain the information that needed. The
number of log files and the information they contain are set by parameters in Cognos Connection
and in Cognos Configuration.

Use the server administration tool in Cognos Connection to learn about logging categories and
how to set the level of detail to log for each category.

For troubleshooting purposes, set the logging level to 3 or 4 to start. Level 5 should only be used after contacting Cognos Support.

For more information, see the Cognos 8 Administration and Security Guide.

Use Cognos Configuration to specify the size, number, and location of log files, and to configure
the properties of the log server. For more information, see the Cognos Configuration User Guide.
When troubleshooting, the following files will be useful:

The Transfer Log File
This file records the activities that the installation wizard performed while transferring files. The
transfer log file is located in the crn_location\instlog directory. The file name identifies the product
name, version, and build number, and includes a time stamp. The following is an example of the
file name format:
tl-CRN-8-0-0-0-20021104_0942.txt

The Transfer Summary-Error Log File
This file records the components installed, disk space information, the selections made in
the transfer dialogs, and any errors the installation wizard encountered while transferring
components. The transfer summary-error log file is located in the crn_location/instlog directory.
The file name identifies the product name, version, and build number, and includes a time stamp.
The following is an example of the file name format:
tl-CRN-8-0-0-0-20021106_1122_summary-error.txt

The Startup Configuration File
This file records configuration choices each time property settings are saved. If configuration is unable to be saved Previously saved configuration file is reverted. The backup configuration files are located in the crn_location/configuration
directory. The following is an example of the file name format:
crnstartup_200211231540.xml

The Locale Configuration File
This file records the configuration choices made in Cognos Configuration for product and
content locales, locale mapping, and currency support. If problems with language
support in the user interface or in reports is experienced, use these files to track the changes. The backup
configuration files are located in the crn_location/configuration directory. The following is an
example of the file name format:
crnlocale_200211231540.xml

The Run-Time Log File
On the applications server, he default Cognos 8 log file named crnserver.log file, or other log files that is configured to receive log messages from the log server, record information after the Cognos 8 service is started. They are located in the crn_location/logs directory. If another destination for log messages are configured, check the appropriate file or database.

Some log messages indicate problems. Most messages provide information only, but others can
help to diagnose problems in run-time environment.

The Gateway Log File
The Cognos 8 gateways record errors in the gateway log file, which is located in the
crn_location/logs directory. The gateway log file can be used to troubleshoot problems that
prevent the gateway from processing requests or from using encryption. Symptoms of these
problems are user IDs and passwords do not work and the
dispatcher is running but users receive the following error message: The Cognos BI server is
not available. The gateway log file uses the following naming format, where gateway_interface
is cgi, mod (Apache 1.3 module), mod2 (Apache 2.0 module), or isapi.
gwgateway_interface.log

The Uninstallation Log File
This file records the activities that the Uninstall wizard performed while uninstalling files. The log
file is named cognos_uninst_log.htm and is located in the Temp directory. The log file can be used to troubleshoot problems related to uninstalling Cognos 8 components.

The Silent Mode Log File
This file records the activities that Cognos Configuration performed while running in silent mode.
This log file is named crconfig_response.csv and is located in the crn_location/logs directory.

The ReportNet(R) to Cognos 8 Upgrade File
This file contains a summary of the results of an upgrade from ReportNet(R) to Cognos 8. The log file is named upgradeLog.xml and is located in the c8_location/log directory. The file is in xml format and references an xslt stylesheet. The file can be double-clicked to have it appear in the browser.