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Introduction to TraceWorX32
TraceWorX32 provides online diagnostics and
tuning of all applications running in the system. TraceWorX32
is designed expressly for systems integrators, OEMs and customers who
want to have tools for doing their own troubleshooting and diagnostics. TraceWorX32 tracks the runtime activity for each application and logs the runtime data to a log file based on
user-configured trace levels. The log file provides a thorough,
color-coded report detailing all activity for the application, including
the time, the date, the severity level, and a description of the event
or problem. TraceWorX32 also
features several options for reporting issues to technical support. If
you are experiencing problems with any applications, the log file
deployment options, such as compressing and e-mailing log files, are
ideal for tracking and archiving data and sending detailed reports to
technical support. Developers can use these reports to identify the
source of the problems.
Starting the TraceWorX32 Configuration Utility
To start
the TraceWorX32 Configuration Utility: 1.
From the Windows Start menu, select Programs >
DVT Applications > DVT OPC Server > TraceWorX32. 2.
The TraceWorX32.htm file, which contains the
Configuration Utility, opens in your Web browser. The Configuration Utility consists of a table with the following
columns: ·
Module: Contains a button for each
application. Clicking the button for an application opens the
TraceWorX32 configuration dialog for that application. ·
Log File Size: Lists the size (in bytes) of the
current trace log file. ·
Binary File: Lists the name of the .exe, .dll, or .ocx
file for each application.
Note: You can view
ToolTips that contain information about a module by hovering the mouse
pointer over the module's button. Each ToolTip lists the name of the
binary file, the trace level, the trace log file size, and the maximum
size of the trace log file.
Configuring Trace Parameters for Modules
To configure each module, click the module's
button in the Configuration Utility table, as shown in the figure below.
Opening the Module
Configuration Dialog Box This opens the configuration dialog box for the
module, as shown in the figure below. Every module uses the same basic
configuration dialog, so the functionality is the same for all modules.
The example figure below shows the DVT OPC Server configuration dialog box.
TraceWorX32 Module
Configuration Dialog Box See Also Enabling Tracing to a Log File Configuring Log File Parameters
Enabling Tracing to a Log File
When tracing is enabled for a module, the
module's runtime activity is recorded in a trace log file. To enable
tracing to a log file, you must specify a trace level in the module
configuration dialog by selecting a Trace Level from the
drop-down list, as shown in the figure below. Note: Enabling tracing can slow down the
performance of applications.
Specifying a Trace Level Runtime activity is logged to the log file based
on the trace level specified. The trace level corresponds to the
severity level of the runtime activity for the module. Runtime activity
with a severity level greater than or equal to the specified trace level
will be logged to the log file. For example, a trace level of Normal
(600) filters out all activity with a severity level less than 600. By default, tracing for modules is not enabled
(i.e. the trace level is None). To log all activity to the log
file (without regard to severity), select ALL (0). You can also
specify a custom trace level by selecting Custom from the
drop-down list. This enables the Custom Trace Level text box,
where you can type in a specific trace value. Configuring Log File Parameters
Once you have enabled tracing for a module, an
XML log file is created and runtime activity for that module is logged
to the file. To specify a directory location for the log file, click the
Browse button to the right of the Log File Location field
on the module configuration dialog box, as shown in the figure below. If no maximum size for the trace log file is
specified, the log file will grow indefinitely. To limit the growth of
the log file, you can specify a maximum size (in megabytes) in the Max
File Size field, as shown in the figure below. Note: If the Max File Size is
"0," there is no limit to the log file size.
Setting Log File
Parameters Runtime data are actively logged to the Current
Log File. The size of the current log file is displayed at the
bottom of the configuration dialog, as shown in the figure below. When
the log file size reaches the maximum file size, all data from the
current log file are copied to an Old Log File, the data
are expunged from the current log file, and new data are written to the
current log file. For example, in the figure below, the Max
File Size is 20 MB. The current log file has reached the 20 MB
limit, so an old log file has been created. As you can see in the figure
below, the size of the old log file is now 20 MB because all data have
been transferred from the current log file to the old log file. Note: You can manually delete either log
file at any time by clicking the Delete buttons.
Current Log File Size
Exceeded Viewing the Trace Log File
To see the current log file or the old log file,
click the View buttons at the bottom of the configuration dialog,
as shown in the figure below. Note: To view current log file statistics,
you must refresh the TraceWorX32 Configuration Utility display in your
Web browser window.
Viewing the Log File A progress window appears as the log file loads,
as shown in the figure below. Note: Large log files may take a
considerable amount of time to load.
Loading the Log File The log file opens, as shown in the figure below.
The file consists of a table with multiple columns listing runtime data
for the selected module, including the time, the severity level, and the
activity message. Because log files often contain several hundred and
even thousands of rows of data, each log is divided into pages with 100
rows each. To browse between pages, click the left and right arrow
buttons at the bottom of the dialog, as shown in the figure below. You
can also type in a specific page number in the Page text box. If
the Color Coded check box is checked, rows of data with are
flagged by colored text based on the trace (severity) level, as shown in
the figure below.
TraceWorX32 Log File Log File Deployment
TraceWorX32 features several options for saving
and deploying log file data. If you are experiencing problems with any
applications, the log file deployment options are ideal for archiving
data and sending detailed reports to technical support. Developers can
use these reports to identify the source of the problems. By clicking the Export to CSV button or
the Export to HTML button in the log file, you can save the log
file data to a Microsoft Excel .csv file or to an HTML page, as shown in
the figure above. You can also archive the current log file by
clicking the Zip button on the configuration dialog, as shown in
the figure below. The log file is compressed and saved as a zip file. Clicking the E-mail button opens the
default e-mail client for your system and enables you to send the log
file as an attachment to an e-mail message. Note: The E-mail button is
invisible if no default e-mail client is found in your Windows
configuration.
Viewing the Log File
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