# WLOC Administration Console Online Help

# Rotate log or audit files

Before you begin

Review View and configure log and audit messages.

By default, the Controller and each Agent renames (rotates) its log file when the file grows to a size of 500 KBs. Each time the log file reaches this size, the WLOC renames the current log file and creates a new `file-name.log` to store new messages.

To rotate log and audit files:

1. To rotate log or audit files for the Controller, access the Controller page in one of the following ways:
   - Click the Controller tab in the WLOC navigation bar.
   - Click the Home tab in the WLOC navigation bar and click Controller under Manage Configuration.

   To rotate log or audit files for an Agent, access the Agent page in one of the following ways:

   - Click the Inventory tab in the WLOC navigation bar, expand the Agents list in the Inventory pane, and click the name of the Agent.
   - Click the Agents tab in the WLOC navigation bar and click the name of the Agent that you want to configure in the Agents table.
   - Click the Home tab in the WLOC navigation bar, click Agents under Manage Configuration, and click the name of the Agent that you want to configure in the Agents table.
2. Click the Logging or Audit tab on the Controller or Agent page to configure log or audit file rotation, respectively.
3. Modify the following fields:

   Field | Description
   --- | ---
   Log File Name | Path name of the log file. The path can be absolute or relative to the Controller or Agent installation directory. When you click Save (in Step 4), WLOC writes all subsequent messages to the new file. To include a time and date stamp in the file name when the log file is rotated, add `java.text.SimpleDateFormat` variables to the file name and surround each variable with percentage (`%`) characters. For example, if you enter the following value: `myserver_%yyyy%_%MM%_%dd%_%hh%_%mm%.log`, the server log file will be named: `myserver_yyyy_MM_dd_hh_mm.log`. When WLOC rotates the log file, the rotated file name contains the date stamp. For example, if WLOC rotates the Controller's log file on 4 March, 2007 at 10:15 AM, the log file that contains the old log messages will be named: `Controller_2005_03_04_10_15.log`. If you do not include a time and date stamp, the rotated log files are numbered in order of creation `filename` `nnnnn`, where `filename` is the name configured for the log file. For example: `Controller.log00007`.
   Rotation Type | Rotation style to use for rotating log files. Valid options include By Size and By Time.
   Rotation Size | Maximum log file size (in KBs) before the current log file is rotated and a new log file is created. This value is valid only if the Rotation type was set to By Size. Note: To prevent a log file from growing too large, WLOC forces a log file to rotate if it reaches 500 MB in size, regardless of how you configure log file rotation.
   Rotation Directory | Directory in which log files are stored. Enter an absolute pathname or a path name that is relative to the Controller or Agent installation directory. Be default, the rotated files are stored in the same directory as the log and audit files.
   Number of files limited | Flag that specifies whether the number of log files should be limited.
   Rotation File Count | Maximum number of log files to create before overwriting them. When the maximum number of log files is reached, the oldest file is overwritten. This value is valid only if the Number of files limited flag is enabled.
   Rotation on startup | Flag that specifies whether log files should be rotated automatically at startup.
   Rotation Time | Time of day that log files are rotated initially. Specify the time using the following format: `hh:mm`. When you click Save below, if the time that you specified has already past, WLOC rotates the file immediately. This value is valid only if the Rotation type is set to By Time.
   Rotation Time Span | Frequency at which log files are rotated with Rotation Time Span Factor. The actual rotation frequency is calculated as follows: (Rotation Time Span) * (Rotation Time Span Factor). This value defaults to 24 and is valid only if the Rotation type is set to By Time.
   Rotation Time Span Factor | Frequency at which log files are rotated with Rotation Time Span. The rotation frequency is calculated as follows: (Rotation Time Span) * (Rotation Time Span Factor). This value is specified in milliseconds and defaults to 3600000. This value is valid only if the Rotation type is set to By Time.

4. Click Save.

   The log configuration is updated and the following confirmation message is displayed:

   `Settings updated successfully`