Log and Error Management

Event logs are your primary diagnostic tools when a malfunction occurs. They record all system operations and anomalies, allowing you to understand what happened and identify solutions.

Accessing Logs

Access Path: Administration Tools > Log Journal menu

note

Application error logs can be viewed through this interface. For server logs (IIS, Windows), contact your system administrator.

Journal Interface

Available Columns

Column	Description	Usage
Date	Precise date and time (DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM)	Temporally locate the event
Action	Type of operation	Login, Creation, Modification, Deletion, Error
User	User identifier	Identify the author of the action
Reference	Reference of the document or object concerned	Error context
Type	Event category	Information, Warning, Error, Critical
Description	Descriptive message	Nature of the event or error
Details	Technical information	Error trace, stack trace

Event Types

Information:

• Normal operations
• User logins
• Document creations
• Validations

Warning:

• Unusual but non-blocking situations
• Login attempts with wrong password
• Light timeouts
• Resources approaching limits

Error:

• Blocking malfunctions
• Operation failures
• Database access errors
• Email sending errors

Critical:

• Serious errors impacting the system
• Service shutdowns
• Data corruption
• Security issues

Filtering Features

Available Filters

Period Filter:

• Start date and end date
• Allows restriction to a precise time range
• Usage: Isolate events from a given incident

Type Filter:

• Information, Warning, Error, Critical
• Check the types to display
• Usage: Focus on errors only

User Filter:

• Enter or select a user
• Shows only their actions
• Usage: Investigate a problem reported by a specific user

Action Filter:

• Select an operation type
• Login, Creation, Modification, Deletion, Error
• Usage: Analyze a specific operation type

Text Search:

• Search in descriptions and details
• Search for keywords (e.g. "timeout", "SQL", "email")
• Usage: Quickly find a specific error

Action Buttons

Filter:

• Applies selected criteria
• Refreshes the list according to filters

Export:

• Downloads logs in CSV or Excel format
• Allows external analysis
• Essential for transmission to support

Refresh:

• Reloads the list
• Shows the most recent events
• Resets the display

Clear:

• Purges the log history

warning

Irreversible action. Always export before clearing.

Usage

Diagnosing a Malfunction

Procedure:

1. Reproduce the problem if possible (note the time)
2. Access the Log Journal
3. Filter by period (e.g. last 5 minutes)
4. Filter by type: Check "Error" and "Critical"
5. If user is known, filter by user
6. Analyze the listed errors
7. Click on an error to see details
8. Note the error message and stack trace

Analysis:

• Error message: Often indicates the cause
• Stack trace: Identifies the technical location
• Context: User, document, attempted action

Actions:

• Fix according to the identified error
• Export logs if support is needed
• Document the resolution

Common Errors

"Timeout expired":

• Cause: Database query too long
• Solution: Optimize index, check database

"Object reference not set to an instance of an object":

• Cause: Missing data, application bug
• Solution: Check data, contact support

"Access to the path... is denied":

• Cause: File permission problem
• Solution: Check NTFS rights for the folder

"Unable to connect to SQL Server":

• Cause: Database inaccessible
• Solution: Check SQL server, network connectivity

"SMTP Error: Could not authenticate":

• Cause: Incorrect email configuration
• Solution: Check SMTP settings

Proactive Monitoring

Daily:

• Review errors from the last 24 hours
• Identify recurring errors
• Handle critical errors immediately

Weekly:

• Analyze trends (increase in errors?)
• Identify patterns (same error, same time)
• Export and archive

Monthly:

• Generate statistics (error types, frequency)
• Identify improvement areas
• Purge old logs (after export)

Export and Archiving

Exporting Logs

Procedure:

1. Configure your filters (period, type)
2. Click Export
3. Choose format (CSV, Excel)
4. Save the file

Uses:

• Transmission to Avanteam support
• In-depth analysis (Excel, BI tools)
• Archiving for audit
• Incident documentation

Export Naming

Recommended Convention:

Logs_Avanteam_YYYYMMDD_Description.csv

Examples:

• Logs_Avanteam_20240315_Email_Errors.csv
• Logs_Avanteam_20240301-20240331_March.csv

Archiving

Frequency: Monthly or quarterly

Procedure:

1. Export all logs from the past month
2. Save in an archiving folder
3. Document the content (period, context)
4. Purge application logs (frees space)

Retention Period:

• Minimum: 3 months (operational)
• Recommended: 1 year (audit, analysis)
• Legal: According to your sector's regulations

Log Purging

When to Purge?

Indicators:

• Log table > 100,000 rows
• Log interface slowdown
• Limited disk space
• Very old logs (> 6 months-1 year)

Procedure

Preparation:

1. ALWAYS export before purging
2. Verify that the export is complete
3. Archive the export in a safe place

Purging:

1. Access the Log Journal
2. Click Clear
3. Confirm (⚠️ irreversible)
4. Wait for processing to complete

Verification:

• Refresh the interface
• Verify that recent logs are still there
• Check performance (normally improved)

Alternative: Selective purging

• Filter by period (e.g. logs > 6 months)
• Export this selection
• Purge only this selection (if interface allows)
• Otherwise, total purge after complete export

Business Case: Incident Investigation

Case 1: User Cannot Validate a Document

Context: A user reports that they cannot validate an NC, the button is not responding

Investigation:

1. Note the details:

   • User: John Doe
   • Document: NC-2024-042
   • Problem time: 2:35 PM

2. Check the logs:

   • Filter by user: "John Doe"
   • Filter by period: 2:30 PM - 2:40 PM
   • Filter by type: "Error"

3. Analyze the results:

   • Error at 2:35:12 PM
   • Description: "Required field not filled: Closure date"
   • Details: ValidationException on DateClosure field

4. Solution:

   • The form requires a closure date before validation
   • Contact the user to fill this field
   • Or modify the workflow if this field should not be mandatory

Result: Problem solved in 5 minutes thanks to logs

Case 2: Notifications Not Sent

Context: Several users report not receiving notification emails since this morning

Investigation:

1. Check the logs:

   • Period: Since this morning (8:00 AM)
   • Type: Error
   • Text search: "email" or "SMTP"

2. Results:

   • Multiple "SMTP Error: Could not authenticate" errors
   • Since 8:15 AM this morning

3. Diagnosis:

   • The SMTP server changed its password
   • Or the server is temporarily unavailable

4. Actions:

   • Test with AdminTools > Email send test
   • Check SMTP configuration (Web.config)
   • Contact system/network administrator
   • Once resolved, restart pending notifications

Communication: Inform users once resolved

Case 3: Compliance Audit

Context: Security audit, need to prove traceability

Procedure:

1. Audit period: January 2024
2. Export logs:
   • Period: 01/01/2024 - 31/01/2024
   • All types
   • All users
3. Analyze:
   • Who created what?
   • Who modified which sensitive documents?
   • Were there any deletions?
   • Login errors (unauthorized attempts)?
4. Generate a report:
   • Total number of operations
   • Breakdown by type
   • Sensitive actions (deletions, rights modifications)
   • Security events
5. Present to auditor

Compliance: Logs demonstrate complete traceability

Best Practices

Consultation

Regularity:

• Daily: Quick glance at errors
• Weekly: In-depth analysis
• Monthly: Export and archiving

Responsiveness:

• Critical errors: Immediate treatment
• Recurring errors: Investigation and resolution
• Warnings: Monitoring

Documentation

To Document:

• Major incidents and their resolution
• Recurring errors and solutions
• Configuration changes
• Exports and purges performed

Security

Limited Access:

• Administrators only
• No user access (prevents manipulation)

Traceability:

• Actions on logs are themselves traced
• Who exported, who purged

Performance

Optimization:

• Purge regularly (performance)
• Archive before purging (traceability)
• Index most filtered columns (technical)

Integration with Other Tools

Email Journal

Complementarity:

• System logs: Sending errors
• Email journal: Detail of each email

Usage: Cross-reference information for complete diagnosis

Workflow Debug

Complementarity:

• Logs: Workflow error history
• Workflow Debug: Current workflow state

Usage: Logs to understand history, Debug for current state

Backup

Recommendation:

• Log exports are part of your backup strategy
• Keep them with other critical elements

Support

Transmitting Logs to Support

Preparation:

1. Identify the incident period
2. Filter relevant logs
3. Export in Excel or CSV format
4. Add an explanatory document:
   • Context
   • Symptoms
   • Actions already attempted
   • Expected result

Transmission:

• Attach to your support ticket
• Or send by secure email
• Mention sensitive information (anonymize if needed)

Server Logs

Application logs cover only part of the picture. For a complete diagnosis:

• IIS Logs: HTTP requests, server errors
• Windows Logs: System events
• SQL Server Logs: Database errors

These logs require server administrator access. Coordinate with your IT team.

Complementary Tools

Windows Event Viewer:

• System and application errors
• Accessible via mmc eventvwr.msc (server)

SQL Server Management Studio:

• SQL logs and errors
• Query execution plans

Monitoring Tools:

• Application Insights
• ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)
• Splunk

These advanced tools require technical expertise and are generally managed by the infrastructure team.