Filewrite, many times, multiple machines doing this command, Problem

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I am running a web service that can accept multiple connections at once (asynchronously). In this web service, I am attempting to write a line of text to a log file, which works some of the time. However, after a certain number of writes, it breaks (editor's note: OP needs to clarify what breaks and how).

The below code is what I am using to write to the log file. I have tried adding/removing fs.Close() and fs.Flush(), but I still get the same error (editor's note: OP should include the error message).

Please keep in mind that I am a CS student who is an intern, so I am a little inexperienced (editor's note: be gentle). I was told I could use this site if I needed help with anything. Thanks in advance!

C#

using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(string.Format(@"{0}\Information logs\{1}",
    Properties.Settings.Default.InformationLogsDestination, logName),
    FileMode.Append, FileAccess.Write))
{
    StreamWriter w = new StreamWriter(fs, Encoding.UTF8);
    w.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToString("G") + " posting to '" +
        message + "' to list " + name + " in Database.");
    w.Flush();
    w.Close();
    fs.Close();
}

Posted 26-Jul-11 12:38pm

Member 8015046

Updated 26-Jul-11 13:28pm

AspDotNetDev

v4

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3 solutions

Solution 2

C#

lock(myStaticVariable)
{
    // Code to write to file.
}

Use a static variable to lock on and ensure no two threads are writing to the same file at once.

Posted 26-Jul-11 13:37pm

AspDotNetDev

Comments

Member 8015046 27-Jul-11 11:11am

I tried doing that and it still came to the same problem. But like the idea very much. Here is how I implemented it:

Member 8015046 27-Jul-11 11:11am

Boolean post = PostDB(name, message);
if (Properties.Settings.Default.Trace)
{
lock (llock)
{
using (FileStream fs = new FileStream(string.Format(@"{0}\Information logs\{1}", Properties.Settings.Default.InformationLogsDestination, logName), FileMode.Append, FileAccess.Write))
{
StreamWriter w = new StreamWriter(fs, Encoding.UTF8);
w.WriteLine(DateTime.Now.ToString("G") + " posting to '" + message + "' to list " + name + " in Database.");
w.Flush();
w.Close();
}
}
}
return post;

Member 8015046 27-Jul-11 11:12am

static readonly object llock = new object();

AspDotNetDev 27-Jul-11 11:18am

Hmmm, perhaps try flusing the FileStream in addition to the StreamWriter.

Member 8015046 27-Jul-11 11:22am

Yeah I try many combinations of those. It still breaks on me.

Solution 1

Each program should uses its own file... or the web service should do all the logging.

It is preferable to avoid using the same file remotly particulary if they are used a lot.

Given the above code, if one program open the file and a second one try to open it before the first program has finished, then an exception will be raised since the file is lock by the first program.

Thus a simple solution if you still think that using a single file would be to catch the appropriate exception and retry the operation a bit later.

By the way such program won't scale well. Thus that solution could be adequat only for a few applications that do not uses the log intensively.

Posted 26-Jul-11 13:11pm

Philippe Mori

Comments

Member 8015046 26-Jul-11 19:12pm

Well both programs calls a library which calls this web service. This web service is the one doing the logging. So the web service is being called multiple times. What do you suggest I should do?

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AspDotNetDev · Accepted Answer · 2011-07-26T13:47:00

Solution 3

Alternatively, write to a database or the event log rather than a file.

Posted 26-Jul-11 13:47pm

AspDotNetDev

Comments

Member 8015046 26-Jul-11 20:01pm

I could try to do the database way. How do you do the event log way?

AspDotNetDev 26-Jul-11 20:36pm

FYI, I added a comment below. A Code Project bug prevented me from seeing (and so, replying) to your comment until I posted another comment.

Philippe Mori 27-Jul-11 7:40am

Similar with me. Yesterday, I was not able to see comments (for any solution related to this question) even I have received an email.

AspDotNetDev 26-Jul-11 20:35pm

Write to event log from web service: http://aspalliance.com/987_Event_Logging_in_a_NET_Web_Service.all

Member 8015046 27-Jul-11 11:06am

Why is an event log preferable than a text document?

AspDotNetDev 27-Jul-11 11:19am

Actually, I'd say the database is most preferable. However, the event log may handle asyncronous operations for you (as would a database), which may help you avoid having to reimplement it yourself.

Member 8015046 27-Jul-11 11:27am

What would you choose? I'd prefer a database because I know how to implement it, but I am worried that I'll have too many logs and go over the Bigint index. My web service is going to be ran everyday, and it does 30 methods per second, which each of those does a log. Multiple machines are running so that what makes the 30 methods per second.

AspDotNetDev 27-Jul-11 12:39pm

A bigint can store 2^64 values. If you were to create a table with only a bigint field and fill it up with 2^64 rows, you'd end up with 67,108,864 terabytes of data. All of the hard drives on the planet are not that large. You would be perfectly fine going with a database.

Chris Maunder 26-Jul-11 22:04pm

This is a completely pointless comment. Let me know when you get it and I'll remove it.