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HTTP Logging <httpLogging>

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Overview

The <httpLogging> element allows you to configure IIS to generate log entries for only successful requests, failed requests, or both. After you configure logging for each Web site at the server level, you can use this element to enable selective logging for individual URLs. By default, HTTP logging is enabled for all requests on Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.

You can view the log file for a site at any time to see which requests are failing and which requests are succeeding. When you no longer want IIS to log certain requests for a site, disable logging for that site.

Compatibility

Version Notes
IIS 10.0 The <httpLogging> element was not modified in IIS 10.0.
IIS 8.5 The <httpLogging> element was not modified in IIS 8.5.
IIS 8.0 The <httpLogging> element was not modified in IIS 8.0.
IIS 7.5 The <httpLogging> element was not modified in IIS 7.5.
IIS 7.0 The <httpLogging> element was introduced in IIS 7.0.
IIS 6.0 The <httpLogging> element and the <logFile> element replace the logging properties on the IIS 6.0 IIsWebService metabase object.

Setup

The <httpLogging> element is included in the default installation of IIS 7.

How To

How to enable HTTP logging for a site or application

  1. Open Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager:

    • If you are using Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Server Manager, click Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows 8 or Windows 8.1:

      • Hold down the Windows key, press the letter X, and then click Control Panel.
      • Click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

    • If you are using Windows Vista or Windows 7:

      • On the taskbar, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
      • Double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

  2. In the Connections pane, expand the server name, expand Sites, and then navigate to the Web site or application for which you want to configure HTTP logging.

  3. In the Home pane, double-click Logging.

  4. In the Actions pane, click Enable to enable logging.
    Screenshot of the Logging pane. The text Use this feature to configure how I I S logs request server is shown.

  5. Select the log file format you want to use for your site or application in the Format drop-down list, and, if you want to change the default location where IIS stores log files, type the path where you want to store the log files for the site or application in the Directory box.

  6. (Optional) If you selected W3C in the Format drop-down list in step 5, click Select Fields.

  7. (Optional) In the W3C Logging Fields dialog box, select the W3C fields you want to log, clear any W3C fields you do not want to log, and then click OK.
    Screenshot of the W three C Logging Fields dialog box. The checkboxes for Date, Time, Client I P Address, User Name, Service Name and Server I P Address are checked. Service Name is highlighted.

  8. In the Actions pane, click Apply.
    Screenshot of the Actions pane. The One log file box is shown.

Configuration

You can configure the <httpLogging> element at the server level in the ApplicationHost.config file and at the site, application, or URL level in the appropriate Web.config file.

Attributes

Attribute Description
dontLog Optional Boolean attribute.

Specifies whether HTTP logging is enabled for successful requests. A request is considered successful if its status code is less than 400.

The default value is false.
selectiveLogging Optional enum attribute.

Specifies which type of requests to log.

The selectiveLogging attribute can be one of the following possible values.

The default value is LogAll.
Value Description
LogAll Logs all requests.

The numeric value is 0.
LogSuccessful Logs only successful requests. The HTTP status code range for successful requests is 100-399.

The numeric value is 1.
LogError Logs only unsuccessful requests. The HTTP status code range for unsuccessful requests is 400-999.

The numeric value is 2.

Child Elements

None.

Configuration Sample

The following configuration example, when included in a Web.config file for a site or application, configures HTTP logging and specifies that IIS should only log requests that generate errors.

<configuration>
   <system.webServer>
      <httpLogging dontLog="false" selectiveLogging="LogError" />
   </system.webServer>
<configuration>

Sample Code

The following examples enable HTTP logging for a Web site named Contoso, and specify that IIS shouldn't log any requests.

AppCmd.exe

appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/httpLogging /dontLog:"True" /commit:apphost

appcmd.exe set config "Contoso" -section:system.webServer/httpLogging /selectiveLogging:"LogAll" /commit:apphost

Note

You must be sure to set the commit parameter to apphost when you use AppCmd.exe to configure these settings. This commits the configuration settings to the appropriate location section in the ApplicationHost.config file.

C#

using System;
using System.Text;
using Microsoft.Web.Administration;

internal static class Sample
{
   private static void Main()
   {
      using (ServerManager serverManager = new ServerManager())
      {
         Configuration config = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration();
         ConfigurationSection httpLoggingSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/httpLogging", "Contoso");
         httpLoggingSection["selectiveLogging"] = @"LogAll";
         httpLoggingSection["dontLog"] = true;
         serverManager.CommitChanges();
      }
   }
}

VB.NET

Imports System
Imports System.Text
Imports Microsoft.Web.Administration

Module Sample
   Sub Main()
      Dim serverManager As ServerManager = New ServerManager
      Dim config As Configuration = serverManager.GetApplicationHostConfiguration
      Dim httpLoggingSection As ConfigurationSection = config.GetSection("system.webServer/httpLogging", "Contoso")
      httpLoggingSection("selectiveLogging") = "LogAll"
      httpLoggingSection("dontLog") = True
      serverManager.CommitChanges()
   End Sub
End Module

JavaScript

var adminManager = new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager');
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST";

var httpLoggingSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/httpLogging", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso");
httpLoggingSection.Properties.Item("selectiveLogging").Value = "LogAll";
httpLoggingSection.Properties.Item("dontLog").Value = true;

adminManager.CommitChanges();

VBScript

Set adminManager = createObject("Microsoft.ApplicationHost.WritableAdminManager")
adminManager.CommitPath = "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST"

Set httpLoggingSection = adminManager.GetAdminSection("system.webServer/httpLogging", "MACHINE/WEBROOT/APPHOST/Contoso")
httpLoggingSection.Properties.Item("selectiveLogging").Value = "LogAll"
httpLoggingSection.Properties.Item("dontLog").Value = True

adminManager.CommitChanges()