iTP Secure WebServer System Administrator's Guide (iTPWebSvr 6.0+)

Configuring the iTP Secure WebServer
iTP Secure WebServer System Administrator’s Guide—523346-002
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Managing Log Files
Managing Log Files
This section tells you how to manage your log files including:
•
Choosing a Log Format on page 7-23
•
Planning Space for Logs on page 7-24
•
Rotating Log Files on page 7-24
Choosing a Log Format
You can choose between two formats for your server log files:
•
Common Log Format (CLF) on page 7-23
•
Extended Log Format (ELF) on page 7-23
Common Log Format (CLF)
The common log format (CLF) is used by the access and error log files and is specified
by the AccessLog and ErrorLog configuration directives (see Appendix A,
Configuration Directives). This format is supported by other web servers and by many
log-analysis tools. If you already are using or have such tools, you may wish to use
CLF.
Note that the WebReporter is most effective if you use the extended log format
described below. For more information about the WebReporter, refer to the iTP Secure
WebServer WebReporter Command Reference Manual and the iTP Secure
WebServer WebReporter User’s Guide.
Extended Log Format (ELF)
The extended log format (ELF) is used by the extended log file and is specified by the
ExtendedLog configuration directive (see ExtendedLog
on page A-18). ELF
implements several features not available with CLF including:
•
All error and access information for a particular request is recorded in a single log
entry. This integration of information eliminates the need to correlate entries in the
error log with separate entries in the access log.
•
Fields are provided for the web-browser software type, the referrer, and the
request begin and end times.
•
Fields are provided for security information, such as the name of an authenticated
user.
•
The name/value pairs used for the information fields support the addition of new
logging fields (such as a field for security information).
•
The overall format makes it easy to write new log-analysis programs.