logging - logs one search, then no more!!

[Anonymous]

Help - weird things are happening.

When logging is enabled, the first log is created fine. (all permissions set correctly). However, further searches on the site are no longer logged. so no matter how many searches appear on the site, only the first one after logging is enabled appears in the log file?

Any ideas?? I am using asp with vbscript.

Thank you
Paul

[Ray]

Check that you have not accidentally turned off logging (or you forgot to save your configuration after turning it on once) in the Indexer Configuration -> Advanced window.

Have you tried removing the log file/folder, and starting again by following these instructions:
http://www.wrensoft.com/zoom/support/logging.html

Does it still only log once? I presume this means that there is only a one line entry in the log file, and further searches do not add to this. Are there any error messages when you make further searches? (eg. "unable to write to log file..."?)

Are you holding the file opened (eg. viewing the log file in Notepad) when you are making your subsequent searches?

If possible, you can give us the URL to your search page and log file (or email it to us if you like), and we can take a closer look.

Also tell us what OS your web server is running (XP, Server 2003, 2000, etc.)

[Anonymous]

same thing here ...

I followed ever thing and it was posting errors that it couldn't write to the file. I got the permissions on the folder set (for me) to let the anonymous user write to it and ...it works, for one search, then it is right back to the old error message. If I wipe out the log file, it will happily create a new file and log one more search.

It is a Win2k3 server running the ASP version (of course). And no I am not holding anything open. The search page is http://depts.inverhills.edu/biology/search/search.asp? And the file is in the regular spot.

One last thing, I notice that the file "logs" after a search becomes read only...so I flip it back and do a search...no error, but the log file has no entry, and the folder is back to read only. Now, I admit, I am a linux guy, and the file permissions in Windows networks, servers and systems drive me crazy so I realize that it could be just one more Windows oddity, but, there ya go.

This is a test set up for evaluation, so far we are loving your work.

[Ray]

Yes, Windows security and file permissions have been a thoroughly convoluted mess, and with Windows 2003 Server, it's even more so.

Have you checked the bottom section of that Logging support page mentioned above? ("Getting logging working for the CGI version on a Windows 2003 Server machine with IIS 6.0"). This explains the extra steps necessary in getting logging to work on IIS 6.0/Win2k3.

I noticed that I am getting a 404 when I tried to access your log file via:
http://depts.inverhills.edu/biology/...earchwords.log
You said that it was able to write to the file once, so I would have presumed this file to be there.

However, this may just be caused by one of the other 'great' new IIS 6.0 features, which makes it return a 404 "File Not Found", when you try to access any file with an unrecognized MIME type - regardless of whether or not the file is actually there. So I can't tell if the file is really there or not now - another bit of brilliant Microsoft thinking there.

To get around this, you could either add ".log" to the MIME type list on your server, or rename the log file to "searchwords.txt" in the Zoom Configuration window, under the "Advanced" tab (assuming that ".txt" is on your MIME list).

I'm not sure what you mean by the "...the file 'logs' after a search becomes read only" comment. I presume you are referring to the "logs" folder which you are to give write access to. It shouldn't be changed to "read only" after a search. Are you sure that it was not "read only" before the search as well?

If you determined this by simply right clicking on the folder in Explorer, and selecting "Properties" and looking at the "General" tab, this can be a misnomer. Windows doesn't actually use this attribute to determine whether a folder is read-only (despite the name!) and you can not actually change it (if you unmark it, and click apply, then re-open the properties window, it is again marked). Ridiculously enough, Windows actually uses this attribute to mark folders for various internal uses (eg. system folders, or folders with customized views). More information here:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=326549

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the snappy reply!

I switched over to using a txt file and it did the same thing. I went through permissions again and looked at everything twice. Well, for whatever reason the searchwords.txt file was marked as 'read only' for the anaymous web user after creation. Flipping the 'write' switch made everything works the way it is supposed to work....Yea!