1586166 - How to enable tracing for BI client applications [VIDEO] https://userapps.support.sap.com/sap/support/sfm/notes/print/00015861...

SAP Knowledge Base Article

1586166 - How to enable tracing for BI client

applications [VIDEO]
Component: BI-RA (Reporting, analysis, and dashboards), Version: 21, Released On: 24.03.2021

Symptom
• How to enable tracing for Web Intelligence Rich Client? (For more information on Web Intelligence Rich
Client tracing, Refer to KBA : 2378002 (/sap/support/notes/2378002))
• How to enable tracing for Universe Design Tool - UDT?
• How to enable tracing for Information Design Tool - IDT?

Environment
• SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.3
• SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.2
• SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.1
• Web Intelligence Rich Client
• Universe Design Tool (UDT)
• Information Design Tool (IDT)

Resolution
There are two ways of tracing the BI client applications.

1. Trace configuration file

2. Environment variable

For both scenarios a trace configuration file is required, the difference is only in the file name and location. It is
important to note that these trace files names and content are case sensitive.

1. Trace Configuration file

The content of the BO_trace.ini file for BI 4.1 should be:

size = 300000;
keep = true;
keep_num = 10;
append = false;
log_level = high;
log_dir = @"<output_path>";

The content of the BO_trace.ini file for BI 4.2 and BI 4.3 should be:

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size = 300000;
keep = true;
append = false;
keep_num = 10;
sap_trace_level = trace_debug;
sap_log_level = log_info;
log_dir = @"<output_path>";

NOTE:

• BOTH: <output_path> is the location where the log files will be created
• BI 4.1: An equivalent to '<<' in the importance parameter is xs (e.g.: importance = xs;)
• BOTH: The @ sign before the "<output_path>" is important to locate the directory, especially for Java
based clients (IDT, WRC)
• BI 4.1: If the severity parameter is used in the trace configuration file, make sure it has a space between
the single quotas, in order to get a full trace, e.g.:

append=true;
size = 300000;
keep = true;
log_dir = @"<output_path>"; //I.E. log_dir = @"C:\logs\"; (ensure you have created a directory called logs
on your C:\ drive)

1. Tracing via trace file

Each client searches for the trace configuration file in different folders. Bellow is the list of the paths and file
names for each client application. To enable tracing, create a trace configuration file with the name and in the
location appropriate for the client. Copy the above contents into these files based on the BI version you are
using.

Universe Designer Tool:

Use the attached designer_trace.ini or create your own and copy to file locations:

• In 4.2 ..\SAP BusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win32_x86\

• In 4.3 ..\SAP BusinessObjects\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\win64_x64\

Information Designer Tool:

• <USER_HOME>\.businessobjects\bimodeler_14\config\BO_trace.ini (creates the idt*.trace.glf files)

• ..\SAP BusinessObjects\InformationDesignTool_Trace.ini (creates the InformationDesignTool*.trace.glf
files)

Web Intelligence Rich Client:

• ..\SAP BusinessObjects\WebIRichClient_trace.ini
• For information on how to perform tracing on Web Intelligence Rich Client, Refer to KBA : 2378002
(/sap/support/notes/2378002)

Dashboards (Xcelsius):

• ..\SAP BusinessObjects\Xcelsius 4.0\Xcelsius_trace.ini

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2. Tracing via environment variable

Tracing via environment variable simplifies tracing by using the same name and location of the trace
configuration file regardless of the client application being traced. To enable tracing, create the trace
configuration file and the environment variable pointing to the file:

1. Right-click My Computer > click Properties > Advanced tab > Environment Variables
2. Click New in the System or User variables section
3. Create BO_TRACE_CONFIGFILE variables. For example:

Variable Name: BO_TRACE_CONFIGFILE

Variable_Value: c:\botrace\BO_trace.ini

4. OK > OK to exit the dialog boxes

NOTE:

• On Windows 7 the Environment variables are in Start > right-click Computer > Properties > Advanced
System Settings > Advanced tab
• User environment variables overwrite System environment variables – make sure the variable is created
only once
• It is also possible to create a BO_TRACE_LOGDIR environment variable, however if log_dir parameter
is used in the trace configuration file, it will override the BO_TRACE_LOGDIR environment variable
• Always make sure you specify the location of the log files (either in the trace configuration file log_dir
parameter, or via BO_TRACE_LOGDIR environment variable to avoid creating the logs in multiple
folders
• If both tracing via a trace file, and environment variable is configured, the BO_TRACE_CONFIGFILE
takes precedence

Database connection tracing

In certain occasions, more details are required on the database communication. There is a way to trace the
communication between the client application and the DB driver via the connection server (CS) layer. Most of
the relational databases connections could be traced via the CS (cs.cfg). Please check the referenced
Knowledge Bases at the end of this document for specific database connection tracing

To enable CS database tracing follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the cs.cfg file located in "..\SAP BusinessObjects Enterprise XI 4.0\dataAccess

\connectionServer"
2. Open the cs.cfg file in a text editor such as Notepad
3. Make sure the trace near the bottom of the file is activated

<Traces Active="Yes">

4. Save and close the file

NOTE:

• The CS trace is enabled by default

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• For UDT and WRC there will be no extra file created, the logs will be written into the application log
• For IDT the CS logs will be written into "InformationDesignTool_<PID>_<timestamp>_trace.glf"

Log file output

Each BI client application creates different trace logs. Include all files when sending to SAP support:

Universe Designer Tool:

• designer_<PID>_<timestamp>_trace.glf
• designer_sdk_<PID>_<timestamp>_trace.glf

Information Designer Tool:

• idt_<PID>_<timestamp>_trace.glf
• InformationDesignTool_<PID>_<timestamp>_trace.glf

Web Intelligence Rich Client:

• wicdztrace folder
• WebIRichClient_<PID>_<timestamp>_trace.glf
• WebIRichClient_sdk_<PID>_<timestamp>_trace.glf

See Also
3039809 - How to Trace Universe Design Tool Client 4.2 & 4.3 (/sap/support/notes/3039809)

If you have trace errors see 2627515 - How to troubleshoot trace logs generation in SAP BusinessObjects
Business Intelligence Platform BI4.1 and BI4.2 (/sap/support/notes/2627515)

1923351 - How to retrieve MDX statement for BI 4.0 Web Intelligence Rich Client (/sap/support/notes/1923351)

1609534 - How to enable SAPJCO trace on Adaptive Processing Server in Business Intelligence 4.x
(/sap/support/notes/1609534)

2627515 - How to troubleshoot trace logs generation in SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform
BI4.1 and BI4.2 (/sap/support/notes/2627515)

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform Administration guide.

Keywords
bo_trace, bo trace, logging, logs, IDT trace, webi rich client, web intelligence rich client, UDT, universe, Design,
Interactive, Analysis, Desktop, WRC

1586166

Attributes

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Key Value

Other Components BI-BIP-UDT (Universe Design Tool)

Other Components BI-BIP-IDT (Information design tool)

Products
Products

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.2

SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.3

This document refers to

SAP Title
Note/KBA

3039809 How to Trace Universe Design Tool Client 4.2 & 4.3 (/sap/support/notes/3039809)

2627515 How to troubleshoot trace logs generation in SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence
Platform BI4.1 and BI4.2 (/sap/support/notes/2627515)

2378002 How to collect traces for Web Intelligence Rich Client? [BI 4.x] (/sap/support/notes/2378002)

1621190 How to enable SAPJCO trace for Webi Rich client in BI4.x? (/sap/support/notes/1621190)

This document is referenced by

SAP Title
Note/KBA

2523216 How to use easy tracing for BI client tools (/sap/support/notes/2523216 )

2327892 How to Create a Universe In the Information Design Tool (/sap/support/notes/2327892 )

2310263 BI 4.1 - Universe Designer fail to open with no error (/sap/support/notes/2310263 )

2285833 How to retrieve and test the MDX statement for a Webi report that is based on a .unv OLAP
universe in BI4.1 using the Webi Rich Client [video] (/sap/support/notes/2285833 )

2103024 How To Trace BusinessObjects 4.x (Servers and Clients) *** LEAD KBA*** (/sap/support/notes
/2103024 )

1804398 How to enable traces for Translation Management Tool (/sap/support/notes/1804398 )

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2183105 How to retrieve the BAPI_MDPROVIDER_GET_MEMBERS function parameters for a Webi

report in BI4.X using the Webi Rich Client. (/sap/support/notes/2183105 )

2138366 BI 4.x: UDT, IDT Take a Long Time to Login (/sap/support/notes/2138366 )

2008876 IDT Very Slow (/sap/support/notes/2008876 )

1972293 Performance Issue - BI 4.1 SP02 - Connection Server trace enabled by default (/sap/support
/notes/1972293 )

1576904 XI 3.1: How to trace the Web Intelligence Rich Client (/sap/support/notes/1576904 )

1916649 Information Design Tool session terminated right after login for certain users (/sap/support
/notes/1916649 )

1855322 Error: "session is closed. (Error: INF)" when opening or creating any WebI document in BI 4.0
(/sap/support/notes/1855322 )

1768502 How to stop the creation of the webiswingclientSynth.log file? (/sap/support/notes/1768502 )

Attachments
File Name File Mime Type
Size

designer_trace.ini (/sap/support/sapnotes/public/services 228 application/octet-

/attachment.htm?iv_key=002007204200000370412011&iv_version=0021& stream
iv_guid=00109B36BCAE1EDBA3976271A64980EB)

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