About specifying server log settings

ArcGIS for Server records system messages in logs. When you suspect something isn't working correctly, you can examine the logs in ArcGIS Server Manager to see what exactly is happening with your ArcGIS Server site. Additionally, you can specify the default log level, the number of days to keep logs on disk, and where the server writes its logs using ArcGIS Server Manager or ArcGIS for Desktop. Any changes that you make are immediately reflected in your site.

Specifying the log level

By default, the log level of the server is set to Warning, meaning moderate problems that require attention will be logged. For a description of the available log levels, see the topic Viewing, querying, and configuring server logs.

Specifying the number of days to keep logs on disk

By default, logs are retained on disk for a period of approximately 90 days. When a log exceeds this time frame, it is deleted. Specifying a smaller time frame, for example, 30 days, can prevent the log directory from growing bigger than expected.

Specifying the log directory

The default directory where the server writes its logs is c:\arcgisserver\logs. The log path must be set to a local directory and exist on each GIS server participating in your ArcGIS Server site. When specifying the logs directory, try to keep the location at the root level of your GIS server. You shouldn't designate a network directory as the log location.

Caution:

Keep in mind that the logs directory is not related to the server directories or the configuration store location. If you modify the location of these directories, the server logs will remain in the default directory (as noted above) or the directory you specified in Manager or ArcGIS for Desktop.