The Log pane
The top pane shows Server status messages (Log). These messages are time/date stamped and include details of operations such as, starting and stopping of the Server, loading of Server components, Server database Backup events and connection and disconnection of Users.
The information will be saved in the log.txt located in the "system" folder of the Server installation folder.
At each start-up of the Server, start-up checks and procedures, e.g. verifying the license information (expiration and setup of license details) will be performed.
Once the message "Server Ready" is displayed all checks have been completed and Users can connect through their Clients. And as soon as the message "farmerswife New Web Server Started" is displayed Web Users can connect through a Web browser, web mobile or iOS application.
The Connected: x Users pane
Click on the menu icon at the top left corner of this pane to Send Message To Connected Application Users. This option is usually used when the System Administrator needs to stop the farmerswife Server e.g. to perform an upgrade. By clicking here you can write a message like "Please disconnect in 5 minutes, we are upgrading farmerswife". When hitting OK all connected Advanced Users will get a pop-up window with this message in their farmerswife applications.
This pane also shows which Advanced Users are connected to the farmerswife Server. By clicking on the menu icon next to the User you can see User information, and also disconnect him from the Server (Terminate Connection).
Note: Only use this option if previously confirmed with the connected User so no information will be lost.
The bottom pane
On the left side there are details about:
- Today: Today’s date
- Expires: Expiry date of the license
- Options: License configuration
And on the right side there are these buttons:
- Backup Now: By clicking this button you manually initiate the standard database back-up process. In the Server Log Window you will now see “Manual Database Save” followed by the 5-step saving process. See more details about the Backup configuration in General Server Setup.
- Full Backup Now: To create a Full Backup of the farmerswife Server application. The Full Backup path can be the local machine or any host which is accessible through the LAN. This operation is recommended before performing an upgrade of the Server application or any other modifications within the installation folder structure. See more details about the Full Backup configuration in General Server Setup.
- Send Backup Now: To sends an encrypted file to a safe FTP location of farmerswife Support containing copies of the following folders: system folder, lib folder, jetty folder and html_templates folder - you can choose to send also the archives, histories and dispatches folders, located within the system folder. For this feature to work the Server machine needs an Internet connection. Additionally, if the Allow Mail option together with the E-Mail server has been configured in the General Server Setup, a message can be sent via email to farmerswife Support informing that the database copy was sent. This is a background process and will not disconnect logged-in users. But you might notice that the data upload is taking place, due to the increased activity of the machine hosting the WIFE server.
- Setup: Click to enter the Server Setup.
Note: All Users will be disconnected from the Server and unsaved changes will be lost. Notify all connected Users before entering the Server Setup. - Speed Test: To run a Speed Test of the Server machine. The result can be accessed through the log window and the log.txt.
- Quit: Click this button to quit the farmerswife Server.
All Users will be disconnected from the Server and unsaved changes will be lost. Notify all connected Users before quitting.
What is tracked on the Server Log?
- Server Restarts: Each server restart is preceded with the text: INIT
- Event Time & Date: Each log line relating to an event starts with the Date & time of the event, relative to the time-zone of the machine the server is installed on.
- Running Version: The first line of each server restart, after INIT, will display the current running version of the server, including build number
- Server Operating System: It will also track the operating system of the machine that the server is installed on.
- IP Address: this is the IP Address of the machine that the server is installed on, and that the license is locked to.
- Startup Checks: these are the standard checks run when opening the database file, for the server application to run.
- Custom Icons: Checking to see if there are any Custom Icons to be loaded in from the server folder structure.
- Label Images: loading of any image files stored in the server folder structure.
- Startup of Server application: with assigned Port Number
- Opening of File Transfer Port: with assigned Port Number
- Opening of HTTP Access Port: with assigned Port Number
- SSL Certificate check: for Web Client
- JRE Check: to note running version of Java installed on server machine
- Startup of Web Server: with assigned Port Number
- Opening of API Port: with assigned Port Number (for Mobile App Access)
- Server Company Name: this is the name listed in the Server Setup > General Company Name
- Backups Settings: including location of Full Backups folder
- Allow Mail: if there is a mail server connected to the server
- Forced Shutdown Time: when the server is set to auto-restart, with set time
- Web Server PID: with assigned PID for the web server's Java Runtime Process
- Google Connect: checks to confirm Google Connect is running against the server
- Cirkus Sync: This will check the connection to the Cirkus Server linked with this farmerswife server. It will go through setup checks such as checking for any new backups, and log levels (determining how much Sync info will be provided in the fw server log). Any changes that are made that need to be updated in Cirkus will also be noted at various intervals (such as booking changes)
- DB Save: auto-backups of server to server backups folder, as set in the Server Setup > General > Backups and Server Setup > General > Backup Every
- Full Backups: noting the start & end of the Full Backups procedure including: checking the amount of Backups in the storage folder, removing of old Backups, and creation of new Backups
- Send Backup Now: when SEND BACKUP NOW is enabled on the server app, the server notes when this process is starting, and when it has finished sending
- User Connections: each time a user connects to the server, their Username will be logged, along with the app they connect from. This could be a mac app, a windows app, via the web, or via the iOS app.
- User Disconnections: each time a user disconnects, their Username will be logged
- User Time-outs: each user has an inactivity time on their user settings in-app. If their inactivity passes this time, they will be disconnected
- User Re-login: if a user is disconnected via a crash, the server may log if they reconnect
- Total Users Connected: immediately after noting if a user has connected or disconnected via a desktop app, the server will report how many users are currently connected via desktop apps
- Microsoft Entra: sync groups that have been set up via Microsoft Entra will be logged. This will happen at various intervals
- SSL Errors: any errors that come up through the SSL certificate check, along with the SSL channel that has an error
- Daily Email Sendout: if this is successful, it will note which email addresses it has sent to. If it fails, it will report which users have not been sent the Daily Email Sendout, and the reason for it failing
- Notifications: if a user tries to access a project, already being used by another user. It will also note if there has been an "All Users" note sent from the server app
- Project Deletions: the name of any project that has been deleted, along with the Project Number, and the name of the user that deleted the project. It will also note the location of the Project Folder that will have been deleted along with the in-app project
- Renaming of Projects: if a project is renamed in-app, the server will log the old name, and the new name as it alters the related Project folder
- Excessive Server Calls: if a user is experiencing slowness, this can be first tracked on a server against this log
- Server Shut Down Procedure: When the server is quit, or goes through a Force Server Shutdown, the server will log the closing down process. If the log does not show this prior to the Startup Procedure being enabled, this can signal either a Force Quit or server crash