Starting the IIS Request-Based Tracing Session

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 with SP1

IIS request-based tracing uses Log Manager (Logman.exe) to start, stop, and update trace sessions. Log Manager is a command-line tool included with Windows Server 2003. Log Manager can schedule trace collections on a local machine or on a remote machine.

Note

This section does not contain the step-by-step procedure for starting and stopping a trace session. This section describes some of the essential concepts for executing a trace session. For the step-by-step procedure to execute a trace session in IIS, see Advanced Troubleshooting with IIS Tracing.

When you enable tracing, you enter a command at the command prompt with the following:

  1. A command to start Log Manager (Logman start trace).

  2. A file name where the trace data should be collected.

  3. The provider file switch (-pf)

  4. The name of the provider file, including the path to the provider file, if necessary.

  5. A command to start the trace immediately (-ets)

The following is an example of a command that starts tracing with Log Manager:
Logman start trace ISAPItrace -pf MyProvidersInputFile -ets

After you enable a trace session, Logman creates the session in the kernel. When Logman has enough session data, it creates a trace log file (.etl extension) in the directory where you executed the start trace command. Log Manager assigns the file the name you entered after the start trace command, for example ISAPItrace.etl (in the command above).

After you start the trace session, Logman prints to the screen a few general statistics and details about the session you just started, as seen below. Notice that Logman tells you the name of the trace session, the file name and path where the trace data should be collected, and the details of the provider file.

D:\Documents and Settings\TestMachine>logman start trace ISAPItrace -pf d:\MyProviders.txt -ets
Name:ISAPItrace
Age Limit:15
Buffer Size:8
Buffers Written:1
Clock Type:System
Events Lost:0
Flush Timer:0
Buffers Free:2
Buffers Lost:0
File Mode:Sequential
File Name: D:\Documents and Settings\TestMachine\ISAPItrace.etl
Logger Id:3
Logger Thread Id:1468
Maximum Buffers:25
Maximum File Size:0
Minimum Buffers:3
Number of buffers:3
Real Time Buffers Lost:0

Provider                           Flags                     Level
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
* "IIS: WWW Server" (IISAuthentication, IISSecurity, IISFilter, IISStaticFile,IISCGI,IISCompression,IISCache,IISAll)0x05
{3A2A4E84-4C21-4981-AE10-3FDA0D9B0F83}  0x00000ffe0x05
* "IIS: WWW Isapi Extension"             0x000000000x05
{A1C2040E-8840-4C31-BA11-9871031A19EA}  0x000000000x05

The command completed successfully.

For information on Log Manager command-line syntax and parameters, type Logman /? at a command prompt and press ENTER. For a list of providers or to see the exact syntax required in the provider file, type logman query providers at a command prompt and press ENTER.