Server Log Entry List

Server Log is a separate “module” of LANProtector Manager and can be used in parallel with the LANProtector Manager Main Window functionality. It has multiple potential uses: viewing events that have occurred on the LANProtector Server with an established timeline, viewing additional messages, errors and information logged by the Server, and easier Rule creation based on the network peer information found in the Log.

To access the Server Log window, use Server Log command from the Main Menu Server on the Main Window or Server Log command from the Toolbar. It is necessary to be connected to a LANProtector Server before opening the Server Log.

Server Log will initially be empty when first opened, until a first Refresh or information retrieval from the connected LANProtector Server is performed.

Each row in the Server Log list represents one Server Log Entry. Columns describe Log Entries:

            Time column contains Server date and time when the Entry was logged. The entire list is sorted automatically by this column, the latest entries on top.
            Type column displays Log Entry type. See more about Log Entry types in Server Log Filters help topic.
            Message column contains the actual Log Entry informative, warning or error message written by the LANProtector Server.

Server Log Status Bar

Under the Server Log Entry list is informative Server Log Status Bar:

Status Bar contains information about how many Server Log Entries are currently loaded and presented in the Server Log Entry list. In brackets next to the total Entry count is Limit notation about how many total Log Entries were allowed to be loaded based on the configured Server Log Filters.

Server Log Management

There are several ways to interact with Server Log to access available features:

1. Toolbar located above the Server Log Events list:

Toolbar commands are described respectively from left to right:

            Save Log to a File = opens the Save dialog to save the currently loaded Log Events to a file
            Configure Filters = opens the Server Log Filters dialog
            Refresh = refreshes the Server Log – fetches Log Events from the currently connected LANProtector Server based on the configured filters on the Server Log Filters dialog
            Server Log Help = opens this help topic

2. Server Log list context menu (mouse right-click menu):

The first three context menu commands, from top to bottom, are equal to the first three commands in the Server Log Toolbar as described above.

The last two Create New Rule commands will appear only when the context menu is invoked on certain Log Entry types: PacketAccepted, PacketDenied and NodeBlocked as those Log Entry types contain IPv4 and MAC addresses in them. Create New Rule commands will open the New Single Host Rule dialog and fill in the information contained in the Log Entry (IP address and MAC address) and set some Rule properties automatically (Allow or Deny state and Rule Name):

Accepting and creating this new Rule will add it to the Rules list of the currently selected Ruleset on the Main Window in the Rulesets list.

3. Keyboard:

            F2 = opens the Save dialog to save the currently loaded Log Events to a file
            F4 = opens the Server Log Filters dialog
            F5 = refreshes the Server Log – fetches Log Events from the currently connected LANProtector Server based on the configured filters on the Server Log Filters dialog
            Ctrl + C or Ctrl + Insert = copies currently selected Log Entry from the Log Entry list to clipboard

Server Log Details

LANProtector Server uses standard Windows event logging system to keep the Log on the Server host computer. It will create a custom event log named LANProtector with limited 16MB size and store all Log Events there. If the Log exceeds this size, each new Log Event will overwrite the oldest Event in the Log.

It is also possible to access and view the LANProtector Windows Event Log without using LANProtector Manager. To view the Server Event Log on the computer where LANProtector Server is installed, use the Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Computer Management | Event Viewer and open the LANProtector log. However it is recommended to always use the LANProtector Manager application as the Log Events will be better interpreted in the UI and textual descriptions will be assigned to Log Event types.