Specifying the log file location

ArcGIS Server records system messages in log files. When you suspect something isn't working right, you can examine the log files to see exactly what is happening with your GIS server.

You can specify where the server writes its log files or simply accept the default location in the ArcGIS Server installation directory, which is <ArcGIS Server Install directory>\Server\user\log on the server object manager (SOM) machine.

If you're configuring a distributed installation of ArcGIS Server (where components of the server run on more than one machine), you will need to share the log directory and reference it using a UNC path (for example, \\myServer\log). You'll also need to make sure the SOM and SOC accounts have Read and Write permissions to the log directory.

How to specify the log file location in Manager

1. Click the GIS Server tab in Manager and click Log Files.
2. Click Server Log Properties.
3. Type a location to set the path for the log files.
4. Set the maximum file size for an individual log file. When a log file reaches this size, the server will create a new one.
5. Set the logging level. To learn what's included in the different levels, see Interpreting log files.

How to specify the log file location in ArcCatalog

1. In the Catalog tree, right-click the name of the GIS server for which you want to view or modify the log file location.
2. Click the General tab.
3. Type a location or click the browse button to set the location for the log files.
4. Set the maximum file size for an individual log file. When a log file reaches this size, the server will create a new one.
5. Set the logging level. To learn what's included in the different levels, see Interpreting log files.