Documentation PI Nexus+ Documentation

PI Nexus+ / Administration Guide

Support and Diagnostics

This chapter shows where PI Nexus+ logs, how to capture a problem with temporary debug logging and a support bundle, and how to read the readiness and scale checks. File names, levels and the bundle's contents are in the Logs and Support Bundle Reference.

Overview

This chapter shows where PI Nexus+ logs, how to capture a problem with temporary debug logging and a support bundle, and how to read the readiness and scale checks. File names, levels and the bundle's contents are in the Logs and Support Bundle Reference.

Admin > Support has four tabs: Readiness, Scale, Diagnostics and Support Bundle. All need the Admin role.

Find the logs

Each server writes its logs to C:\ProgramData\Software Athlete\PI Nexus+\Logs: the web application's on the web server and the scanner service's on the scanner server. Warnings and errors also go to the Windows Application event log.

The web application's log names the real error behind a message in the browser, such as a SQL Server login or AF SDK exception. For a scan problem, read the scanner service's log.

Capture a problem with debug logging

Temporary debug logging adds detail for a limited time and switches itself off, without a restart.

Diagnostics tab with the log levels, the debug duration and Enable debug
  1. Open Admin > Support, tab Diagnostics.
  2. Under Temporary debug logging, choose a Duration just long enough to reproduce the problem.
  3. Choose Enable debug. Effective Log Level changes to Debug.
  4. Reproduce the problem and note the time.
  5. Choose Disable debug, or let it expire, then create a support bundle.

Leave the Base log level at Information unless support asks otherwise. Debug logs grow quickly.

Create a support bundle

The support bundle collects what support needs without a screen share. Passwords, tokens, credentials and connection-string secrets are removed; object, server and user names are kept.

Support Bundle tab with the time range and Generate support bundle
  1. Reproduce the problem first, so the log entries are in the bundle.
  2. Open Admin > Support, tab Support Bundle.
  3. Choose the Time range that covers the problem.
  4. Choose Generate support bundle and save the ZIP file.
  5. Send it to the support address shown, with the Version, the affected scan or run ID, and the time you reproduced the problem.

Note: On a split installation the bundle holds only the web server's logs. Its scanner-server-logs.txt names the scanner server and its log folder: copy the pi-nexus-*.log files for the same period from there and send them with the bundle.

Check readiness

Readiness lists the deployment checks in groups. Open it after every configuration change and resolve every failed check before scanning. A check with a button opens the fix directly. The checks are in Deployment Readiness Checks.

Check scale and SQL Server memory

Open Scale when SQL Server or a PI server on the same machine feels slow, or before adding much scan volume. Compare values after a representative scan: a large PI Nexus+ buffer cache is reusable cache, not a leak, but Staging Rows or Staging Reserved that stay high after scans have finished are worth a support bundle. For an estate of around one million PI Points or AF attributes, ask support for the SQL Server sizing guidance before rollout.

Reference: Logs and Support Bundle Reference