Does log4net support the database mirroring feature in SQL 2005?

It logs quite happily when logging to our primary database but when I failover logging ceases to work – in that nothing is logged – when I failback logging works as before.  The mirroring has been configured correctly (test has been done to verify this) so I think I can rule this out.

Other than the following entry (as per http://blogs.technet.com/johnbaker/archive/2005/10/06/412126.aspx) included in my connection string is there something else required?

<SPAN lang=EN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">failover partner=MyFailoverDatabaseServer</SPAN>

Is there anything else I should be considering?

Thanks in advance.

Colin

Should be handled transparently if you’re using SqlClient or native client and a correct connection string. I think log4net uses OLE DB by default, you might want to try changing this to SqlClient.

If it still doesn’t work, try setting your appender’s ReconnectOnError to true.

It would also be helpful if you posted the versions you’re using (log4net, SQL server 2005 service pack?, .NET framework version and service pack?) and your log4net configuration.

Best wishes,

Dag

Hi Dag.

Thanks for your response.  Unfortunately I am still no further forward on this despite following your suggestion.  I have included further information if this helps.  Suggestions/Advice are very much appreciated.

Both servers are fully service packed and are running with

Log4Net  v1.2.10

SQL 2005

.Net 3.5

My log4net configuration is as follows:

<log4net>

                                <root>

                                                <level value="DEBUG" />

                                                <appender-ref ref="LogToSqlServer"/>

                                </root>

                                <appender name="LogToSqlServer" type="log4net.Appender.AdoNetAppender">

                                                <filter type="log4net.Filter.LoggerMatchFilter">

                                                                <loggerToMatch value="NHibernate" />

                                                                <acceptOnMatch value="false" />

                                                </filter>

                                                <bufferSize value="0"/>

                                                <!--<threshold value="DEBUG"/>-->

                                                <connectionType value="System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection, System.Data, Version=1.0.3300.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089"/>

                                                <connectionString value="data source=<SERVER-NAME-IS-HERE>;initial catalog=<LOGGING-DATABASE-IS-HERE>;integrated security=true;"/>

                                                <commandText value="EXEC <STORED-PROC-NAME-IS-HERE> @User, @Logger, @LoggingLevel, @Message"/>

                                                <parameter>

                                                                <parameterName value="@User"/>

                                                                <dbType value="String"/>

                                                                <size value="255"/>

                                                                <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout">

                                                                                <conversionPattern value="%identity"/>

                                                                </layout>

                                                </parameter>

                                                <parameter>

                                                                <parameterName value="@Logger"/>

                                                                <dbType value="String"/>

                                                                <size value="255"/>

                                                                <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout" value="%logger"/>

                                                </parameter>

                                                <parameter>

                                                                <parameterName value="@LoggingLevel"/>

                                                                <dbType value="String"/>

                                                                <size value="50"/>

                                                                <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout" value="%level"/>

                                                </parameter>

                                                <parameter>

                                                                <parameterName value="@Message"/>

                                                                <dbType value="String"/>

                                                                <size value="4000"/>

                                                                <layout type="log4net.Layout.PatternLayout" value="%message"/>

                                                </parameter>

                                </appender>

                </log4net>

You’re using .NET framework 1.x’s SqlClient which doesn’t support transparent database mirroring. The correct type name is:

System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089

(you can verify this name using typeof(SqlConnection).AssemblyQualifiedName))

You should specify a failover partner in your connection string in case the principal server is offline when you make the initial connection:

Data Source=<SQLA>;Failover Partner=<SQLB>;Initial Catalog=<..>;Integrated Security=True

I also assume you’re running Sql Server 2005 SP1 or later? SQL server 2005 pre-SP1 doesn’t officially support mirroring in production use.

Best wishes,

Dag

Hello.

When I turn on internal debugging I get nothing at all.

This is a web application (using Windows authentication) and the user has write permissions to the folder I created where I wanted the log4net debugging output be rendered to.

In case this is significant I  added the following to the web.config file: <add key="log4net.Internal.Debug" value="true"/> 

And added the following to the logging.config file (the logging information is held in a separate config file).  I use ConfigureAndWatch() to pick up the changes but just to be sure that it picked up the additions I restarted the web site in IIS.

    <system.diagnostics>

        <trace autoflush="true">

            <listeners>

                <add 

                    name="textWriterTraceListener" 

                    type="System.Diagnostics.TextWriterTraceListener" 

                    initializeData="C:\tmp\log4net.txt" />

            </listeners>

        </trace>

    </system.diagnostics>

Any thoughts?

Colin

Hello again Dag.

Updated my config file as per your suggestion and now the application is not logging to the primary database or the failover database.

I tried to enable log4net’s internal debugging but no file with information is being created (permissions to create the file had been granted to the user running the application).

I am running SP1 on SQL Server 2005.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Colin