Can't specify location of log files?

Hi David,

Very good question!

Kristofer has told us the truth.

The IIS stores the configuration in the IIS metabase which is a binary file
located in %SystemRoot%\system32\inetsrv\metabase.bin in IIS5. In iis6, the
metabase is stored as xml in %SystemRoot%\system32\inetsrv\metabase.xml.
You can use Metaeditor or Metabase Explorer to check the content.

In the metabase, each site has its own ID which is unique in your box so
that two sites or more in the same IIS can have same name, for example you
can rename all your site to "test" without any problem. From this design,
the log name just join "W3SVC" with the internal site ID as the log
directory name for the site. You can check the site log name from "Site
Property"->Web site->Enable Logging.property->Log file name.

Furthermore, if you really want to modify the log directory, you can use
the MetaEditor and Metabase Explorer to modify the site id to any name you
prefer, for example you can modify the site ID from 879612 to "test". Then
you will see that your log file directory has been changed to W3SVCtest.
You can check the name following the method above. But this is not
recommended and this is not supported by Microsoft because the modification
to metabase may corrupt the configuration file so that IIS will not work.

You can obatin the MetaEditor which can only work in IIS4/5 because the
metabase of IIS4/5 is binary format. Please go to:
http://www.avaren.com/downloads.htm

The Metabase explorer is availble from IIS6 resource kit which supports the
new xml metabase in IIS6 and binary format of IIS5. But the resource kit
can only be used in Windows Server 2003. You can obtain it from
Microsoft.com. Please go to:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&familyid=56fc
92ee-a71a-4c73-b628-ade629c89499

Does this answer your question? Thank you for using Microsoft NewsGroup!

Wei-Dong Xu
Microsoft Product Support Services
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

This response contains a reference to a third party World Wide Web site.
Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. Microsoft
does not control these sites and has not tested any software or information
found on these sites; therefore, Microsoft cannot make any representations
regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or
information found there. There are inherent dangers in the use of any
software found on the Internet, and Microsoft cautions you to make sure
that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any software from
the Internet.
 >> Stay informed about: Can't specify location of log files? 

Thanks, friend, for the detailed answer! It answers my question
completely. It would be nice in future versions of IIS to be able to change
this ID if for no other reason than being able to change the name of the
folder where the logs are stored. The solution of editing the Metabase is a
bit too risky for my tastes.

David

"Wei-Dong Xu [MSFT]" <v-wdxu.TakeThisOut@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:C%23P$Ge0dDHA.612@cpmsftngxa06.phx.gbl...
 > Hi David,
 >
 > Very good question!
 >
 > Kristofer has told us the truth.
 >
 > The IIS stores the configuration in the IIS metabase which is a binary
file
 > located in %SystemRoot%\system32\inetsrv\metabase.bin in IIS5. In iis6,
the
 > metabase is stored as xml in %SystemRoot%\system32\inetsrv\metabase.xml.
 > You can use Metaeditor or Metabase Explorer to check the content.
 >
 > In the metabase, each site has its own ID which is unique in your box so
 > that two sites or more in the same IIS can have same name, for example you
 > can rename all your site to "test" without any problem. From this design,
 > the log name just join "W3SVC" with the internal site ID as the log
 > directory name for the site. You can check the site log name from "Site
 > Property"->Web site->Enable Logging.property->Log file name.
 >
 > Furthermore, if you really want to modify the log directory, you can use
 > the MetaEditor and Metabase Explorer to modify the site id to any name you
 > prefer, for example you can modify the site ID from 879612 to "test". Then
 > you will see that your log file directory has been changed to W3SVCtest.
 > You can check the name following the method above. But this is not
 > recommended and this is not supported by Microsoft because the
modification
 > to metabase may corrupt the configuration file so that IIS will not work.
 >
 > You can obatin the MetaEditor which can only work in IIS4/5 because the
 > metabase of IIS4/5 is binary format. Please go to:
<font color=purple> > <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.avaren.com/downloads.htm</font" target="_blank">http://www.avaren.com/downloads.htm</font</a>>
 >
 > The Metabase explorer is availble from IIS6 resource kit which supports
the
 > new xml metabase in IIS6 and binary format of IIS5. But the resource kit
 > can only be used in Windows Server 2003. You can obtain it from
 > Microsoft.com. Please go to:
 >
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&familyid=56fc" target="_blank">http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&familyid=56fc</a>
 > 92ee-a71a-4c73-b628-ade629c89499
 >
 > Does this answer your question? Thank you for using Microsoft NewsGroup!
 >
 > Wei-Dong Xu
 > Microsoft Product Support Services
<font color=purple> > Get Secure! - <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.microsoft.com/security</font" target="_blank">www.microsoft.com/security</font</a>>
 > This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
 >
 > This response contains a reference to a third party World Wide Web site.
 > Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. Microsoft
 > does not control these sites and has not tested any software or
information
 > found on these sites; therefore, Microsoft cannot make any representations
 > regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or
 > information found there. There are inherent dangers in the use of any
 > software found on the Internet, and Microsoft cautions you to make sure
 > that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any software
from
 > the Internet.
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can't specify location of log files? 

Nope, you can change the name of 'W3SvcX'

--
Regards,
Bernard Cheah
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://support.microsoft.com/" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/</a>
Please respond to newsgroups only ...


"David Sworder" <dsworder.RemoveThis@cts.com> wrote in message
news:eLxyWMxdDHA.1588@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
 > Hi,
 >
 > I'd like to specify the exact location where my logfiles live. For
 > example, for site <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.MyDomain.com," target="_blank">www.MyDomain.com,</a> I might want the logs stored in
 > 'c:\logs\MyDomain.com'... However, IIS insists on creating a subfolder in
 > the specified logpath with the name 'w3svcx' where 'x' is the count of
sites
 > running on the server. So the logs would in effect end up stored here:
 >
 > c:\logs\MyDomain.com\w3svc1
 >
 > I'm not sure why IIS likes to create that funny subfolder. Is there at
 > least a way to change the name of the subfolder? When I referred to the
 > subfolder as "funny" I meant strange-funny, not haha-funny.
 >
 > David
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can't specify location of log files? 

"Bernard" <qbernard DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OShMGN0dDHA.904@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
 > Nope, you can change the name of 'W3SvcX'
 >
 > --

I *can't* change it? That seems odd to me, but ok, at least now I know.
Thanks for the info..

Dav id<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can't specify location of log files? 

Oops.. sorry !
the correct answer is you CAN'T change...


--
Regards,
Bernard Cheah
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://support.microsoft.com/" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/</a>
Please respond to newsgroups only ...


"David Sworder" <dsworder RemoveThis @cts.com> wrote in message
news:OXYpqV0dDHA.2804@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
 >
 > "Bernard" <qbernard RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
 > news:OShMGN0dDHA.904@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
  > > Nope, you can change the name of 'W3SvcX'
  > >
  > > --
 >
 > I *can't* change it? That seems odd to me, but ok, at least now I
know.
 > Thanks for the info..
 >
 > Dav id
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can't specify location of log files?