---
title: Server logs
description: Configure server logging in PingIDM using logback, including appenders, encoders, and log levels
component: pingidm
version: 8
page_id: pingidm:monitoring-guide:server-logs
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/monitoring-guide/server-logs.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
keywords: ["Monitoring", "JSON", "Configuration", "Logs"]
superseded_by: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/monitoring-guide/server-logs.html
section_ids:
  log-appenders: Log appenders
  logging-file-appender: Configuring RollingFileAppender
  logging-console-appender: Configuring ConsoleAppender
  log-message-format: Log encoders
  log-levels: Log levels
---

# Server logs

IDM uses [logback](https://logback.qos.ch/manual/introduction.html) to generate server logs.

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | Prior to 8.0, IDM used `java.util.logging` (JUL) to generate its logs. Learn more about producing logs in the older format in [PatternLayoutEncoder](#pattern-layout-encoder) and [Configuring `ConsoleAppender`](#logging-console-appender). |

Server logging is not the same as [the audit service](../audit-guide/audit.html). The audit service logs activity on the IDM system, such as access, and synchronization. Server logging records information about the internal workings of IDM, such as system messages, error reporting, service loading, and startup and shutdown messaging.

The default location for the server logging configuration file is your project's `conf/logback.xml` file. You can configure this location by setting the `LOGGING_CONFIG` environment variable in your project's `startup.sh` file.

Changes to logging settings take effect without restarting the server. You can configure the interval at which the system scans for updates using the following tag:

```xml
<configuration scan="true" scanPeriod="30 seconds">
```

You can specify a global [logging level](#log-levels):

```xml
<root level="INFO">
    <appender-ref ref="console" />
    <appender-ref ref="file" />
</root>
```

## Log appenders

The way IDM logs messages is set in `<appender>` tags in the `logback.xml` file. The two default appenders are:

* [`RollingFileAppender`](#logging-file-appender) writes formatted log records to a single file or to a set of rotating log files. By default, log files are written to `logs/openidm*.log` files. Rotated files will have a date within the file name, such as `openidm-2025-03-11.log`.

* [`ConsoleAppender`](#logging-console-appender) writes formatted logs to `System.out`.

Additional log message handlers are listed in the `logback.xml` file.

### Configuring `RollingFileAppender`

The rolling file appender writes formatted log records to a single file or to a set of rotating log files. To configure it, you might need to:

1. Update the `<file>` tag to contain the path to your default log file.

2. Set the `ThresholdFilter` to the minimum log level for your appender.

3. Enable or disable the `logger.LogbackLogFilter`.

4. Configure the `<RollingPolicy>`.

5. Specify the `<encoder>`.

The file appender supports the following configuration tags:

* \<file>

  Contains the path for the default log file, for example:

  ```xml
  <file>path/to/openidm/logs/logback.log</file>
  ```

* \<filter>

  Filters log events. Use `class="ThresholdFilter"` and the `<level>` tag to configure the [log level](#log-levels). This should generally be the minimum log level for your appender, for example:

  ```xml
  <filter class="ThresholdFilter">
      <level>TRACE</level>
  </filter>
  ```

  Use `class="org.forgerock.openidm.logger.LogbackLogFilter"` to filter some common "noise" from the logs, for example:

  ```xml
  <filter class="org.forgerock.openidm.logger.LogbackLogFilter" />
  ```

- \<rollingPolicy>

  Controls the system's behavior during log rotation. By default, this is `TimeBasedRollingPolicy` with a daily rolling option. `SizeAndTimeBasedRollingPolicy` is also supported, though you should only use it in cases where performance is not a concern.

  Learn more about rolling policies in the [logback documentation](https://logback.qos.ch/manual/appenders.html#RollingFileAppender).

- \<encoder>

  Controls the system's [log message format](#log-message-format). By default, this is `JsonEncoder`, though `PatternLayoutEncoder` is also supported.

  Learn more about encoders in the [logback documentation](https://logback.qos.ch/manual/encoders.html).

### Configuring `ConsoleAppender`

`ConsoleAppender` writes formatted logs to `System.out`. To configure it, you might need to:

1. Set the `ThresholdFilter` to the minimum required logging level.

2. Enable or disable the `logger.LogbackLogFilter`.

3. Specify the `<encoder>`.

The console appender has the following tags:

* \<filter>

  Filters log events. Use `class="ThresholdFilter"` and the `<level>` tag to configure the logging level, for example:

  ```xml
  <filter class="ThresholdFilter">
      <level>TRACE</level>
  </filter>
  ```

  Use `class="org.forgerock.openidm.logger.LogbackLogFilter"` to filter some common "noisy" entries from the logs, for example:

  ```xml
  <filter class="org.forgerock.openidm.logger.LogbackLogFilter" />
  ```

* \<encoder>

  Controls the system's [log message format](#log-message-format). By default, this is `JsonEncoder`.

  Learn more about encoders in the [logback documentation](https://logback.qos.ch/manual/encoders.html).

## Log encoders

IDM supports two log encoders:

* `JsonEncoder` outputs logs as a JSON object. This is the default and recommended encoder for most purposes.

  Example JSON output

  ```json
  {
    "timestamp": 1738355903784,
    "level": "DEBUG",
    "threadName": "persisted_1738355821854_QuartzSchedulerThread",
    "loggerName": "org.forgerock.openidm.quartz.RepoJobStore",
    "context": {
      "name": "default",
      "birthdate": 1738355793181,
      "properties": {}
    },
    "mdc": {},
    "formattedMessage": "Processing 0 deferred Trigger Job Completions",
    "throwable": null
  }
  ```

  Learn more about `JsonEncoder` in the [logback documentation](https://logback.qos.ch/manual/encoders.html#JsonEncoder).

- `PatternLayoutEncoder` outputs a text log file which emulates the `java.util.logging` format. Enabling this option will generate logs in the same format as past versions of IDM. To enable, replace the `JsonEncoder` with the `PatternLayoutEncoder` provided in the code comments of `conf/logback.xml`.

  Example Pattern Layout output

  ```
  [19] May 23, 2018 10:30:26.959 AM org.forgerock.openidm.repo.opendj.impl.Activator start
  INFO: Registered bootstrap repository service
  [19] May 23, 2018 10:30:26.960 AM org.forgerock.openidm.repo.opendj.impl.Activator start
  INFO: DS bundle started
  ```

  Learn more about `PatternLayoutEncoder` in the [logback documentation](https://logback.qos.ch/manual/encoders.html#PatternLayoutEncoder).

## Log levels

Logging levels are controlled by `<filter class="ThresholdFilter">` tags contained within an `<appender>` tag in `conf/logback.xml`. For example, this tag filters events with a level below DEBUG:

```xml
<filter class="ThresholdFilter">
    <level>DEBUG</level>
</filter>
```

The following table lists the supported threshold filter values in descending order from most to least general and includes the equivalent level in the previously supported `java.util.logging`:

**Threshold filter concordance**

| Logback threshold | java.util.logging threshold |
| ----------------- | --------------------------- |
| ERROR             | SEVERE                      |
| WARN              | WARNING                     |
| INFO              | INFO                        |
| DEBUG             | FINE                        |
| DEBUG             | FINER                       |
| TRACE             | FINEST                      |

Set the threshold value to `OFF` to disable logging.

Learn more about threshold values in the [logback documentation](https://logback.qos.ch/manual/architecture.html#basic_selection).

You can specify different logging levels for individual server features which override the global logging level. For example:

```xml
<!-- Commons api.models and OpenApiTransformer (API Descriptor) is noisy at INFO level -->
<logger name="org.forgerock.api.models" level="WARN" />
<logger name="org.forgerock.api.transform.OpenApiTransformer" level="WARN" />
<!-- Logs the output from OSGi logging -->
<logger name="org.forgerock.openidm.Framework" level="WARN" />
<!-- On restart the BarURLHandler can create warning noise -->
<logger name="org.activiti.osgi.BarURLHandler" level="ERROR" />
```

If you use logger functions in your JavaScript scripts, set the log level for the scripts as follows:

```xml
<logger name="org.forgerock.openidm.script.javascript.JavaScript" level="level" />
```

You can override the log level settings, per script, with the following setting:

```xml
<logger name="org.forgerock.openidm.script.javascript.JavaScript.script-name" level="level" />
```