Messages, logs, and traces are important diagnostic tools for investigating the behavior of WebSphere Application Server product code, including application servers and administrative servers.
After an error or problem condition occurs, logs can be reviewed for clues as to what happened.
The performance impact of enabling logs is low to medium
As the code executes, tracing information is sent to a specified file or stream, so that the administrator and IBM support personnel can analyze it.
The performance impact of enabling traces is medium to high.
The trace system can provide the most extensive information. It supports:
Tracing provides the most detail, but it also can drain performance. Typically, the administrator should enable tracing only when directed to so by IBM support personnel.