How to configure logging options and where to find log files

January 28, 2015 | Reliance SCADA

Log files significantly help while searching for the cause of problems. Therefore, when requesting technical support, we recommend that you attach these files to the description of your problem.

The log files contain a detailed record of the operation of Reliance's modules from startup through loading and operating the visualization project to termination. In addition, they contain basic information on the computer, operating system, and Reliance version.

How to turn on logging

Reliance Design's Project Options dialog allows you to choose which types of logging information should be stored. This setting applies to Reliance's runtime software.

Project Options – Logging

Logging communications with devices (i.e., control systems, PLCs, etc.) can be configured separately for each type of communication driver through the Communication Driver Manager.

Communication Driver Manager – Logging

The meaning of the options is described in detail in the Development Environment user guide. Generally, the more information is available in the log files, the easier for you to reveal the cause of the problem. Of course, the amount of logged information affects the size of log files (occupied space on disk).

Note: To turn on logging communications in SMS Driver, the driver's Log debug information option in the Communication Driver Manager must be activated.

Log file location

The location settings of the log files can be configured in Reliance Design's Environment Options.

Environment Options – Paths

We recommend that you not change this setting. The default location of the log files can be found in this table. Thus, it depends on the version of Reliance and the operating system you use. The log file folder can be opened from the Windows Start menu (the Reliance 4\Logs folder) or by choosing the Open Log File Folder command from the Tools menu in Reliance Design.

Beginning with version 4.7.0, you can choose whether to store a running project's log files in this project's History\Logs directory. This ensures that the log files are located in the same place as the project and can be backed up together with it. This option is also useful when operating multiple running projects on one computer at the same time – each project has its own log file. We recommend that you activate this option.

The name of the log file always consists of the module name and time stamp. As far as communication drivers are concerned, a separate log file is created each time the project is run. The log files are stored using Unicode (the runtime software) and ANSI (communication drivers).

Hint: If you want to store some additional information in a log file, you can use the RSys.LogMessage function in scripts. Any text string can be written into the runtime software's log file by calling this function.

Thin client logging

Web Client's logging can be configured through the Options dialog, which can be accessed by choosing the Tools > Options command from the main menu.

Web Client's logging options

Web Client's log files are located in
C:\Users\<USERNAME>\.Reliance4\WebClient\<HOST>_<PORT>.

Note: If the main menu in the project is hidden, which disables using the Options dialog, you can turn on logging by following these instructions:

• Terminate Reliance Web Client.
  
  
• Open the file C:\Users\<USERNAME>\.Reliance4\WebClient\options.xml in a text editor (e.g., Notepad).
  
  
• In the file, turn on logging by modifying the log.flags key in the following way:
  <entry key="log.flags">31</entry>
  
  To turn it off, modify the log.flags key in the following way:
  <entry key="log.flags">0</entry>
  
  
• Save the changes.
  
  
• Run Reliance Web Client.

Smart Client's logging information is available in Web browser developer tools. The console is accessible either from the browser main menu or by using a keyboard shortcut:

Mozilla Firefox:                   Ctrl+Shift+K

Google Chrome:                 Ctrl+Shift+I

Microsoft Edge:                  F12

Microsoft Internet Explorer: F12

Developer Tools – Console

Logging information is not stored anywhere, it is only available in the console.

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