Logging

Backup Manager automatically details its operations to a logging file, called an application log or Backup FP log. This file contains non-personal data that lets system administrators and support engineers make sure all backup and recovery processes are set up correctly and are running smoothly. If something goes wrong, the log files are a valuable asset for troubleshooting.

Versions of the application log

There are two versions of the application log: a local version and a server version. The local version is available on the hard drive of the device where the Backup Manager is installed. The server version is stored in the Cloud and can be accessed from the Backup Manager by appending the URL.

How to view the application log (local and server versions)

The local version is able to display more data while the server version displays the latest records only.

For detail, see the Application log settings section below.

Application log structure

Each log record is structured in the following way:

[timestamp] [type] [thread_id] [module]: message

The [module] component is optional and may not always be shown

An example log entry may look as follows:

[2015-01-14 10:30:22.083339] [D] [07200] [Periodic Task Thread]: "Profiler controller" is being executed...

Where:

  • [2015-01-14 10:30:22.083339] is the [timestamp]
  • [D] is the [type]
  • [07200] is the [thread_id]
  • [Periodic Task Thread] is the [module]
  • "Profiler controller" is being executed... is the message

Application log settings

As the size of each log file on the hard drive reaches 5 MB, the Backup Manager stops adding new entries to it and creates a new file instead. The files are saved to the same folder. If debug logging is on, the size limit is extended to 50 MB.

Generally, after the total size of all application log files on the user's computer reaches 50 MB (or 500 MB in case of debug logging), the oldest of them are cleared to free space for new files. These settings have proven to be comfortable for most users. However, sometimes (for example, when a tricky case is investigated), it may be necessary to customize the predefined size limits. This is done by adding parameters to the [Logging] section of the configuration file.

For information on different log types see:

For additional Logging parameters, see the Additional Logging parameters section of the Enable debug logs page.