Use the CobraTraces.svclog file to Capture Exception Details

Follow this procedure to enable and disable tracing.

Writing trace files may lock resources exclusively and may cause severe performance issues. Tracing should only be used to recreate an issue and should then be turned off. See steps further down to turn tracing off.

To enable tracing and send the resulting trace log to Deltek:

  1. On the PM Compass Application Server, open Windows Services and look for the Cobra Web Services service.

  2. Stop the service.

  3. Note the location of the executable under "path to executable" and open that directory in Windows Explorer.

  4. Create a copy of the Cobra.WebService.Host.exe.config file. You will need this in step 11.

  5. Open the Cobra.WebService.Host.exe.config file using Notepad.

  6. Place your cursor at the end of the very first line (which is <configuration>) and press Enter to create a new line.

  7. Paste the lines below into the file and save the file. Make sure that the referenced directory in the text (highlighted below) exists on the server.

    8. <system.diagnostics>

    <sources>

    <source name="System.ServiceModel"

    switchValue="Information, ActivityTracing"

    propagateActivity="true">

    <listeners>

    <add name="traceListener"

    type="System.Diagnostics.XmlWriterTraceListener"

    initializeData="E:\temp\CobraTraces.svclog" />

    </listeners>

    </source>

    </sources>

    </system.diagnostics>

  8. Start Cobra Web Services.

  9. Reproduce the error.

  10. Stop Cobra Web Services.

  11. Replace the edited Cobra.WebService.Host.exe.config file with the copied file from step.

  12. Start Cobra Web Services again.

  13. Retrieve the CobraTraces.svclog file from the location in the above pasted text (step 7) and send it to a Deltek Customer Success analyst.

To disable after sending the resulting trace log to Deltek:

  1. On the PM Compass Application Server, open Windows Services and look for the Cobra Web Services service.

  2. Stop the service.

  3. Note the location of the Executable under "path to executable" and open that directory in Windows Explorer.

  4. Replace the edited Cobra.WebService.Host.exe.config file with the copied version of the original.

  5. If you do not have the original copy, perform the following steps:

    6. a.     Open the Cobra.WebService.Host.exe.config file using Notepad.

    b.     Look for the entries that are the same as the text below (they should be at the beginning of the file).

    c.     Place your cursor at the start of the line beginning with the first line below and select the contents that is the same as the lines below:

    <system.diagnostics>

    <sources>

    <source name="System.ServiceModel"

    switchValue="Information, ActivityTracing"

    propagateActivity="true">

    <listeners>

    <add name="traceListener"

    type="System.Diagnostics.XmlWriterTraceListener"

    initializeData="E:\temp\CobraTraces.svclog" />

    </listeners>

    </source>

    </sources>

    </system.diagnostics>

    d.     Delete the selection.

    e.     Save the file.

  6. Start Cobra Web Services.

For more information, see the Microsoft article titled, Configuring Tracing.

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