Chapter 19. Apache CXF Logging
Abstract
This chapter describes how to configure logging in the Apache CXF runtime.
19.1. Overview of Apache CXF Logging
Overview
Apache CXF uses the Java logging utility, java.util.logging. Logging is configured in a logging configuration file that is written using the standard java.util.Properties format. To run logging on an application, you can specify logging programmatically or by defining a property at the command that points to the logging configuration file when you start the application.
Default properties file
Apache CXF comes with a default logging.properties file, which is located in your InstallDir/etc directory. This file configures both the output destination for the log messages and the message level that is published. The default configuration sets the loggers to print message flagged with the WARNING level to the console. You can either use the default file without changing any of the configuration settings or you can change the configuration settings to suit your specific application.
Logging feature
Apache CXF includes a logging feature that can be plugged into your client or your service to enable logging. Example 19.1, “Configuration for Enabling Logging” shows the configuration to enable the logging feature.
Example 19.1. Configuration for Enabling Logging
<jaxws:endpoint...>
<jaxws:features>
<bean class="org.apache.cxf.feature.LoggingFeature"/>
</jaxws:features>
</jaxws:endpoint>For more information, see Section 19.6, “Logging Message Content”.
Where to begin?
To run a simple example of logging follow the instructions outlined in a Section 19.2, “Simple Example of Using Logging”.
For more information on how logging works in Apache CXF, read this entire chapter.
More information on java.util.logging
The java.util.logging utility is one of the most widely used Java logging frameworks. There is a lot of information available online that describes how to use and extend this framework. As a starting point, however, the following documents gives a good overview of java.util.logging:
19.2. Simple Example of Using Logging
Changing the log levels and output destination
To change the log level and output destination of the log messages in the wsdl_first sample application, complete the following steps:
Run the sample server as described in the Running the demo using java section of the
README.txtfile in theInstallDir/samples/wsdl_firstdirectory. Note that theserver startcommand specifies the defaultlogging.propertiesfile, as follows:Platform Command + Windows
start java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=%CXF_HOME%\etc\logging.properties demo.hw.server.Server+
UNIX
java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=$CXF_HOME/etc/logging.properties demo.hw.server.Server &+
The default
logging.propertiesfile is located in theInstallDir/etcdirectory. It configures the Apache CXF loggers to printWARNINGlevel log messages to the console. As a result, you see very little printed to the console.-
Stop the server as described in the
README.txtfile. -
Make a copy of the default
logging.propertiesfile, name itmylogging.propertiesfile, and save it in the same directory as the defaultlogging.propertiesfile. Change the global logging level and the console logging levels in your
mylogging.propertiesfile toINFOby editing the following lines of configuration:.level= INFO java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = INFO
Restart the server using the following command:
Platform Command + Windows
start java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=%CXF_HOME%\etc\mylogging.properties demo.hw.server.Server+
UNIX
java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=$CXF_HOME/etc/mylogging.properties demo.hw.server.Server &+
Because you configured the global logging and the console logger to log messages of level
INFO, you see a lot more log messages printed to the console.
19.3. Default logging configuration file
19.3.1. Overview of Logging Configuration
The default logging configuration file, logging.properties, is located in the InstallDir/etc directory. It configures the Apache CXF loggers to print WARNING level messages to the console. If this level of logging is suitable for your application, you do not have to make any changes to the file before using it. You can, however, change the level of detail in the log messages. For example, you can change whether log messages are sent to the console, to a file or to both. In addition, you can specify logging at the level of individual packages.
This section discusses the configuration properties that appear in the default logging.properties file. There are, however, many other java.util.logging configuration properties that you can set. For more information on the java.util.logging API, see the java.util.logging javadoc at: http://download.oracle.com/javase/1.5/docs/api/java/util/logging/package-summary.html.
19.3.2. Configuring Logging Output
Overview
The Java logging utility, java.util.logging, uses handler classes to output log messages. Table 19.1, “Java.util.logging Handler Classes” shows the handlers that are configured in the default logging.properties file.
| Handler Class | Outputs to |
|---|---|
|
| Outputs log messages to the console |
|
| Outputs log messages to a file |
The handler classes must be on the system classpath in order to be installed by the Java VM when it starts. This is done when you set the Apache CXF environment.
Configuring the console handler
Example 19.2, “Configuring the Console Handler” shows the code for configuring the console logger.
Example 19.2. Configuring the Console Handler
handlers= java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
The console handler also supports the configuration properties shown in Example 19.3, “Console Handler Properties”.
Example 19.3. Console Handler Properties
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = WARNING java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter
The configuration properties shown in Example 19.3, “Console Handler Properties” can be explained as follows:
The console handler supports a separate log level configuration property. This allows you to limit the log messages printed to the console while the global logging setting can be different (see Section 19.3.3, “Configuring Logging Levels”). The default setting is WARNING.
Specifies the java.util.logging formatter class that the console handler class uses to format the log messages. The default setting is the java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter.
Configuring the file handler
Example 19.4, “Configuring the File Handler” shows code that configures the file handler.
Example 19.4. Configuring the File Handler
handlers= java.util.logging.FileHandler
The file handler also supports the configuration properties shown in Example 19.5, “File Handler Configuration Properties”.
Example 19.5. File Handler Configuration Properties
java.util.logging.FileHandler.pattern = %h/java%u.log java.util.logging.FileHandler.limit = 50000 java.util.logging.FileHandler.count = 1 java.util.logging.FileHandler.formatter = java.util.logging.XMLFormatter
The configuration properties shown in Example 19.5, “File Handler Configuration Properties” can be explained as follows:
Specifies the location and pattern of the output file. The default setting is your home directory.
Specifies, in bytes, the maximum amount that the logger writes to any one file. The default setting is 50000. If you set it to zero, there is no limit on the amount that the logger writes to any one file.
Specifies how many output files to cycle through. The default setting is 1.
Specifies the java.util.logging formatter class that the file handler class uses to format the log messages. The default setting is the java.util.logging.XMLFormatter.
Configuring both the console handler and the file handler
You can set the logging utility to output log messages to both the console and to a file by specifying the console handler and the file handler, separated by a comma, as shown in Configuring Both Console Logging and File.
Configuring Both Console Logging and File
Logging
handlers= java.util.logging.FileHandler, java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
19.3.3. Configuring Logging Levels
Logging levels
The java.util.logging framework supports the following levels of logging, from the least verbose to the most verbose:
-
SEVERE -
WARNING -
INFO -
CONFIG -
FINE -
FINER -
FINEST
Configuring the global logging level
To configure the types of event that are logged across all loggers, configure the global logging level as shown in Example 19.6, “Configuring Global Logging Levels”.
Example 19.6. Configuring Global Logging Levels
.level= WARNING
Configuring logging at an individual package
level
The java.util.logging framework supports configuring logging at the level of an individual package. For example, the line of code shown in Example 19.7, “Configuring Logging at the Package Level” configures logging at a SEVERE level on classes in the com.xyz.foo package.
Example 19.7. Configuring Logging at the Package Level
com.xyz.foo.level = SEVERE
19.4. Enabling Logging at the Command Line
Overview
You can run the logging utility on an application by defining a java.util.logging.config.file property when you start the application. You can either specify the default logging.properties file or a logging.properties file that is unique to that application.
Specifying the log configuration file on application
start-up
To specify logging on application start-up add the flag shown in Example 19.8, “Flag to Start Logging on the Command Line” when starting the application.
Example 19.8. Flag to Start Logging on the Command Line
-Djava.util.logging.config.file=myfile19.5. Logging for Subsystems and Services
Overview
You can use the com.xyz.foo.level configuration property described in the section called “Configuring logging at an individual package” to set fine-grained logging for specified Apache CXF logging subsystems.
Apache CXF logging subsystems
Table 19.2, “Apache CXF Logging Subsystems” shows a list of available Apache CXF logging subsystems.
| Subsystem | Description |
|---|---|
|
| Aegis binding |
|
| colocated binding |
|
| HTTP binding |
|
| JBI binding |
|
| Java Object binding |
|
| SOAP binding |
|
| XML binding |
|
| Apache CXF bus |
|
| configuration framework |
|
| server and client endpoints |
|
| interceptors |
|
| Front-end for JAX-WS style message exchange, JAX-WS handler processing, and interceptors relating to JAX-WS and configuration |
|
| JBI container integration classes |
|
| JCA container integration classes |
|
| JavaScript front-end |
|
| HTTP transport |
|
| secure version of HTTP transport, using HTTPS |
|
| JBI transport |
|
| JMS transport |
|
| transport implementation using local file system |
|
| HTTP transport and servlet implementation for loading JAX-WS endpoints into a servlet container |
|
| WS-Addressing implementation |
|
| WS-Policy implementation |
|
| WS-ReliableMessaging (WS-RM) implementation |
|
| WSS4J security implementation |
Example
The WS-Addressing sample is contained in the InstallDir/samples/ws_addressing directory. Logging is configured in the logging.properties file located in that directory. The relevant lines of configuration are shown in Example 19.9, “Configuring Logging for WS-Addressing”.
Example 19.9. Configuring Logging for WS-Addressing
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.formatter = demos.ws_addressing.common.ConciseFormatter ... org.apache.cxf.ws.addressing.soap.MAPCodec.level = INFO
The configuration in Example 19.9, “Configuring Logging for WS-Addressing” enables the snooping of log messages relating to WS-Addressing headers, and displays them to the console in a concise form.
For information on running this sample, see the README.txt file located in the InstallDir/samples/ws_addressing directory.
19.6. Logging Message Content
Overview
You can log the content of the messages that are sent between a service and a consumer. For example, you might want to log the contents of SOAP messages that are being sent between a service and a consumer.
Configuring message content logging
To log the messages that are sent between a service and a consumer, and vice versa, complete the following steps:
Adding the logging feature to an endpoint
Add the logging feature your endpoint’s configuration as shown in Example 19.10, “Adding Logging to Endpoint Configuration”.
Example 19.10. Adding Logging to Endpoint Configuration
<jaxws:endpoint ...>
<jaxws:features>
<bean class="org.apache.cxf.feature.LoggingFeature"/>
</jaxws:features>
</jaxws:endpoint>The example XML shown in Example 19.10, “Adding Logging to Endpoint Configuration” enables the logging of SOAP messages.
Adding the logging feature to a consumer
Add the logging feature your client’s configuration as shown in Example 19.11, “Adding Logging to Client Configuration”.
Example 19.11. Adding Logging to Client Configuration
<jaxws:client ...>
<jaxws:features>
<bean class="org.apache.cxf.feature.LoggingFeature"/>
</jaxws:features>
</jaxws:client>The example XML shown in Example 19.11, “Adding Logging to Client Configuration” enables the logging of SOAP messages.
Set logging to log INFO level messages
Ensure that the logging.properties file associated with your service is configured to log INFO level messages, as shown in Example 19.12, “Setting the Logging Level to INFO”.
Example 19.12. Setting the Logging Level to INFO
.level= INFO java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = INFO
Logging SOAP messages
To see the logging of SOAP messages modify the wsdl_first sample application located in the InstallDir/samples/wsdl_first directory, as follows:
Add the
jaxws:featureselement shown in Example 19.13, “Endpoint Configuration for Logging SOAP Messages” to thecxf.xmlconfiguration file located in the wsdl_first sample’s directory:Example 19.13. Endpoint Configuration for Logging SOAP Messages
<jaxws:endpoint name="{http://apache.org/hello_world_soap_http}SoapPort" createdFromAPI="true"> <jaxws:properties> <entry key="schema-validation-enabled" value="true" /> </jaxws:properties> <jaxws:features> <bean class="org.apache.cxf.feature.LoggingFeature"/> </jaxws:features> </jaxws:endpoint>-
The sample uses the default
logging.propertiesfile, which is located in theInstallDir/etcdirectory. Make a copy of this file and name itmylogging.properties. In the
mylogging.propertiesfile, change the logging levels toINFOby editing the.leveland thejava.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.levelconfiguration properties as follows:.level= INFO java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = INFO
Start the server using the new configuration settings in both the
cxf.xmlfile and themylogging.propertiesfile as follows:Platform Command + Windows
start java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=%CXF_HOME%\etc\mylogging.properties demo.hw.server.Server+
UNIX
java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=$CXF_HOME/etc/mylogging.properties demo.hw.server.Server &+
Start the hello world client using the following command:
Platform Command + Windows
java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=%CXF_HOME%\etc\mylogging.properties demo.hw.client.Client .\wsdl\hello_world.wsdl+
UNIX
java -Djava.util.logging.config.file=$CXF_HOME/etc/mylogging.properties demo.hw.client.Client ./wsdl/hello_world.wsdl+
The SOAP messages are logged to the console.
