How to Configure Logging in IIS Windows Server 2012

You will now be taken to the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager” where you will see a  Connections panel to the left side of your screen.  There is a folder named “Sites” with a drop down arrow, and you can view all your sites that are available. Select your site and select the “Logging” option from the sites Home options.

 

Select Logging in the IIS Manager page

Logging Page

You will be taken to the-the Logging page to configure some settings. Under Log file/ Format. Select one of the following log formats:

• IIS – uses the Microsoft IIS log file format.
• NCSA – uses the National Center for Supercomputing Applications common log file format.
• W3C – uses the centralized W3C log file format.
• Custom – use a customer logging module/file format.

Directory Section

Specify the location where the log file will be stored in the Directory section.  It should be set to the default path shown below.
%SystemDrive%\inetpub\logs\LogFiles

Note: It is recommended that all the log files that will be stored on your system be stored in any directory except the systemroot directory.

Log File Rollover Section

Additionally, there is a “Log File Rollover” section. This is where you can select a schedule and how the new files are created selecting one of the following options:

• Hourly
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Maximum file size (in bytes)
• Do not create a new log file

Further more, its recommended that you select “Use local time for file naming and rollover” to achieve a more accurate log reading based on your current server’s time stamp.

If you do not select the “Use local time for file naming and rollover” option, the system will use the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to archive the file.

You will then have to convert the UTC format to your local format when its time to review the logs.

You will then finalize your configuration by saving all your information by clicking “Apply” in the “Actions panel.

 

Applying your settings in the Actions PanelCongratulations! You have just Configured Logging in IIS Windows Server 2012. Thank you for reading! Be sure to check back for more updates, and to learn more about our VPS hosting solutions.