Equivalent to Telecom Log Service for Ice?

[Paul Drummond]

The Ice::Logger interface seems to be intended for internal use only in order to get access to Ice-runtime messages. I am looking for a centralised systemwide Log service which all applications can log to, something like the Telecom Log Service in CORBA.

[benoit]

Hi Paul,

The Ice::Logger interface is a public interface and is used by the Ice runtime to log messages. Your application is also free to use this interface as well for its own logging. You can also provide your own Ice::Logger implementation if the provided Ice loggers don't suite your needs (e.g.: to allow logging messages into a local database, etc).

Otherwise, we don't have any centralized logging service like the CORBA Telecom Logging service. Depending on your needs, implementing such a service shouldn't be very difficult. If you have a comercial need for such a service, we could look into adding it. Please send us an email at info@zeroc.com if that's the case!

Cheers,
Benoit.

[marc]

In my experience, an application specific logger (that can easily be built using IceStorm) is often more appropriate than a service such as the CORBA Telecom Logging service. Like many CORBA specs, this service tries to be everything for everyone, with all the usual consequences, such as being bloated, hard to use, and despite the many features, it often lacks certain functionality required by your specific application, which can only be reasonably implemented with a custom logger.

[Paul Drummond]

In my experience, an application specific logger (that can easily be built using IceStorm) is often more appropriate than a service such as the CORBA Telecom Logging service.

I am struggling to see what is "application-specific" about a logging service? Do you mean it would be trivial to create an application-independant service using IceStorm and if so, are there any plans for ZeroC to implement one? (Note that my company is not in a position to fund such a proposal - I am just wondering whether its on the todo list! ).

As you are probably aware by now I am evaluating Ice and CORBA and the "Telecom Logging Service" is one service we need that Ice doesn't provide and therefore a tick in the box for CORBA (TAO specifically) regardless of how bulkly and hard to use it is.

[marc]

What information do you exactly want to log? In my experience, the logging requirements are quite application specific. One application might want to log user authentications, another stock transactions, yet another usage statistics. If you do not have a specialized logger, you can only log data as generic strings, blobs, or other rather hard to use types. With a custom logger, you can create a logger interface that has operations with signatures that exactly match your needs. Then you can use IceStorm to have clients submit to a single logging server that implements this interface.

Anyway, my recommendation would be to try the telecom logging service before you use it in your project, and judge for yourself which approach is simpler to use.