SQL Server 2012 ULS logging for the Reporting Services integration with SharePoint

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Most of you know that in 2008 R2 RS in SharePoint mode started logging reporting services events into SharePoint ULS trace logs.

 

ULS(Unified Logging Service) trace log files are stored on every SharePoint server individually and provide a running audit trail showing details (including detailed error information) of events that occur on that server. You can find more information on ULS logs here

 

In SQL Server 2012 ULS logging for the Reporting Services integration with SharePoint feature fills in the gaps not filled by existing logging capability via Report Server logs, IIS logs, and ULS logs via WSS categories such as “General”, “Web part”,etc..

 

This comprises:

  • SOAP Proxy code called by RS report viewer web part and web pages,
  • New HTTP Redirector code,
  • New Local mode processing and rendering, and
  • Web pages with:
    • Commonly used code eg. Central Admin RS configuration pages,
    • Exceptions raised that may or may not be displayed in the UI.

 

I was looking at the MSDN documentation for the various ULS categories and looks like its missing some details (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff487871).

 

I am going to talk about some of the new categories added as part of the 2012 release.

 

RS feature registers with SharePoint under the Product area named “SQL Server Reporting Services”with several categories corresponding to each bucket mentioned earlier:

 

These are some of the new categories added as part of SQL Server 2012 release.

 

Category Name

Brief Description

Diagnostic Levels

“Local Mode Rendering”

Any calls made to the RS Rendering engine in local mode are logged under this category

Maps existing reporting services trace levels to ULS logging levels. Same as above for Local Mode Processing.

“SOAP Client Proxy”

Any calls made by the RS web pages or RS RV web part to the Report Server are logged in this category.

Error– Any errors / exceptions

Verbose– Method name, User name used to connect to Report Server, SP User name, Methods parameters

“Configuration Pages”

Any calls made by the RS Integration, and Add report server to integration web pages in SharePoint Central Admin are logged as part of this category

Error– Any errors / exceptions

Verbose– WMI or Net API Method name, User name used to connect to Report Server, WMI or Net API Method parameters, Results from call made to GetReportServerConfigInfo, and Feature activation.

“UI Pages”

Any calls made by code in the non-Configuration pages.

Error– Any errors / exceptions

“HTTP Redirector”

This category Logs calls made by external clients like Report builder and BIDs to the Report Server.

Error– Any errors / exceptions

Verbose– Method name, User name used to connect to Report Server, SP User name, Methods parameters

“Local Mode Processing”

Any calls to the RS processing engine are logged under this category.

Maps existing reporting services trace levels to ULS logging levels as follows:

RS trace level

ULS logging level

Verbose

Verbose

Medium

Info

High

Warning

Monitorable

Error

“Report Server WCF Runtime”

Any calls made by the Report Server Shared Service WCF endpoint code are logged under this category

Maps existing reporting services endpoint trace levels to appropriate ULS logging level (as shown above with “Local mode processing”)

“Report Server < Trace Extension Name>“

Logs calls made by the Report Server Shared Service runtime via its numerous / existing trace extensions like the one for the catalog, processing, rendering etc.

Maps existing reporting services endpoint trace levels to appropriate ULS logging level (as shown above with “Local mode processing”)

 

Tools for viewing ULS logs:

 

You could in theory open ULS logs on notepad, however you wouldn’t make use of the the rich formatting of these log files.

 

I almost always use one of ULS log viewer applications available on the web. Some of my favorites are:

 

https://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/ULSViewer (This is what I use all the time)

  • I love the live monitoring feature (play, pause and stop) and also the correlation tree feature.
  • Though the tool is quite easy to use the page also has a link to detailed documentation) 

 

https://sharepointlogviewer.codeplex.com/ (seems to be well supported)

  • I like the popup and email notifications feature.
  • It can also run in system tray. All this without just a standalone exe