Autodesk Vault generates several types of log files as it performs its duties. These log files can be very helpful in diagnosing a problem. The challenge is knowing where to look to find those files. I sometimes find it useful to redirect the log files to a different folder, either to make them easier to find or because the default directory has limited space. Today’s article will help you understand where the location is defined and what to change.
First, a few disclaimers – make sure you save a copy of the original files before modifying them, and when modifying the files, use a program that does not format the files. Word can add formatting characters to a file, so use Notepad or Notepad ++ to make the changes.
There are primarily three types of log files we will discuss, console logs, vlogs, and filestore logs. Each stores different information. They default to all residing in the same folder, but each is configured in a separate configuration file. Let’s look at each type and see how we modify their location. For the purposes of this article, I am referencing the Vault Professional 2018 implementation. For older versions (back to 2014) and for the other types of vault, please adjust the folder paths accordingly.
Console Logs
There are actually two types of console logs, those generated by an ADMS server and those generated by an AVFS server. They are configured very similarly. For ADMS servers, the configuration file is found in the folder
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\ADMS Professional 2018\ADMS Console\Connectivity.ADMSConsole.exe.Config"
It is easiest to search that file for the string <logging>, including the less-than and greater-than symbols. Below is the default excerpt from the file:
<logging>
<add key="basefilename" value="C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\VaultServer\FileStore\ADMSConsoleLog" />
<add key="logfileextension" value=".txt" />
<add key="dateformat" value="-yyyyMMdd" />
<add key="keepnumberdays" value="30" />
</logging>
Below is an edited version of the same section. In the edited version, the default path of “C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\VaultServer\FileStore\” is replaced by a simpler path of “C:\VaultLogs\”.
<logging>
<add key="basefilename" value="C:\VaultLogs\ADMSConsoleLog" />
<add key="logfileextension" value=".txt" />
<add key="dateformat" value="-yyyyMMdd" />
<add key="keepnumberdays" value="30" />
</logging>
The above example also applies to the AVFS console logs, except that the configuration file is
“C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Vault File Server 2018\AVFS Console\Connectivity.AVFSConsole.exe.Config”
vLog Files
The vLog file location is configured in the file
"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\ADMS Professional 2018\Server\Web\Services\Web.config"
The modification is very similar to the console logs. Search for <logging> and edit the path. Below is the original text and the modified text.
Original
<logging>
<add key="basefilename" value="C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\VaultServer\FileStore\vlog" />
<add key="logfileextension" value=".txt" />
<add key="dateformat" value="-yyyyMMdd" />
<add key="keepnumberdays" value="30" />
</logging>
Edited
<logging>
<add key="basefilename" value="C:\VaultLogs\vlog" />
<add key="logfileextension" value=".txt" />
<add key="dateformat" value="-yyyyMMdd" />
<add key="keepnumberdays" value="30" />
</logging>
Filestore Logs
Lastly, the filestore log file location is stored in the file
“C:\Program Files\Autodesk\ADMS Professional 2018\Server\Web\Services\Filestore\Web.config”
Again, the modification is similar to the other two entries.
Original
<logging>
<add key="basefilename" value="C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\VaultServer\FileStore\AVFS-log"/>
<add key="logfileextension" value=".txt"/>
<add key="dateformat" value="-yyyyMMdd"/>
<add key="keepnumberdays" value="30"/>
</logging>
Edited
<logging>
<add key="basefilename" value="C:\VaultLogs\AVFS-log"/>
<add key="logfileextension" value=".txt"/>
<add key="dateformat" value="-yyyyMMdd"/>
<add key="keepnumberdays" value="30"/>
</logging>
After you have modified these files, you must either reboot the server or perform an IISRESET in an administrative command prompt window for the changes to take effect. It should also be noted that modifying these files in today’s security conditions generally requires that you open Notepad as an administrator, so that you can save back to the original file location and name. As a last helpful tip, at the end of each of these sections there is an entry that specifies how many log files to keep (keepnumberdays). The default value is '-1' which means keep them all. I have set mine to keep the last 30 days of logs (there can be one of each log file created each day), so that I don't someday find gigabytes worth of log files taking up space on my server.
