Chapter 19. Apache CXF Logging

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.

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.

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.

<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”.

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.

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:

To change the log level and output destination of the log messages in the wsdl_first sample application, complete the following steps:

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.

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.

-Djava.util.logging.config.file=myfile

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.

Table 19.2, “Apache CXF Logging Subsystems” shows a list of available Apache CXF logging subsystems.

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”.

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.

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.

To log the messages that are sent between a service and a consumer, and vice versa, complete the following steps:

Add the logging feature your endpoint’s configuration as shown in 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.

Add the logging feature your client’s configuration as shown in 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.

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”.

.level= INFO
java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler.level = INFO

To see the logging of SOAP messages modify the wsdl_first sample application located in the InstallDir/samples/wsdl_first directory, as follows:

The SOAP messages are logged to the console.