Work with replica logs

Available with Standard or Advanced license.

When using geodatabase replication in ArcGIS Pro, whether connected or disconnected, the following types of logs are used to track information about the detailed processes that take place when creating and synchronizing replicas:

  • Replica activity log
    • Record when a replica is created or deleted.
    • Record detailed information regarding the synchronization process between replicas.
    • Recorded information can be used to troubleshoot errors or replica creation and synchronization performance.
  • Replica log
    • Record replica synchronization events such as when changes are sent and received.
    • If an error or conflict occurs during replica synchronization, a description of the error and a solution are provided.

To learn more about these log types, see Replica activity log and Replica log below.

Replica activity log

When a replica creation or synchronization process is performed in ArcGIS, detailed information about the process is recorded in the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log.

A single replica process may involve more than one computer; therefore, information on the process can be divided between replica activity logs on two or more computers. For example, in a disconnected environment, changes are synchronized by exporting from a data sender and importing into a data receiver. In this case, the export changes information is logged on the computer where the export process took place, while the import changes information is logged on the computer where the import process was performed. The replica activity log grows over time as information from each new replica process is appended to the file. You can use this information to troubleshoot errors or replica creation and synchronization performance.

The ArcGIS Pro replica activity log is more detailed than the replica log and includes each operation that was executed along with information associated with the operation, such as any errors that may have occurred. To control the location and the level of detail recorded in the replica activity log, you will need to access the logging properties, which is discussed in the following section.

Access the replica logging properties

You can choose from several levels of detail to record, as well as where to create and update the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log on your machine. The Replica Logging Properties can be accessed and set from either the Geodatabase Replication tab on the ArcGIS Pro project Options dialog box or from the Manage Replicas menu located in the Manage Replicas pane. The following sections provide steps for each access method:

Geodatabase Replication tab

Use the following steps to access and set the replica logging properties from the Geodatabase Replication tab:

  1. From the ArcGIS Pro Project tab, select Options.
  2. Select the Geodatabase Replication tab. From this tab, you can set the default log file path and the log level.
    Geodatabase Replication tab accessed from the Options dialog box

    Note:

    Using offline workflows within ArcGIS Pro, such as taking a map offline with the feature service sync capability, also writes to the ProReplicaActivityLog. In this case, you would use the Geodatabase Replication tab on the ArcGIS Pro project Options to configure where to create and update this logfile along with the level of detail to record. For more details, see Take feature layers offline.

Manage Replicas menu

Use the following steps to access and set the replica logging properties from the Manage Replicas menu:

  1. In the Catalog pane, right-click an existing geodatabase connection, point to Distributed Geodatabase, and click Manage Replicas Manage Replica.
    Manage Replicas command on the Distributed Geodatabase context menu
  2. Click the Manage Replicas menu Menu and click Logging Properties.

    Manage Replicas menu commands

See A quick tour of replica management for more information about the tools available in the Manage Replicas pane.

Set the replica logging properties

You can choose where to store the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log file and the level of detail recorded by setting the following values on the Logging Properties dialog box:

The Logging Properties dialog box allows you to set the location and log level of the ProReplicaActivityLog.dat file.

  • Log file path—The default location for the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log file is C:\Users\<user_profile>\AppData\Local\ESRI\ProReplicaActivityLog.dat. The location can be changed by entering another path where you want the replica activity log file to be saved, which can also include a shared file location.
  • Log level—Select the level of detail you want to record in the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log. Info: Simple is the default log level and in most cases is sufficient to understand what is happening during the replica creation or synchronization process. If you require additional information, you can choose another log level option. For troubleshooting purposes, you may be asked by Esri technical support staff to set the log level to Debug so the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log file can be analyzed.

Log level options on the Logging Properties dialog box

View the replica activity log

The information stored in the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log can include the following:

  • Errors—Errors that occurred while running a process
  • Warnings—The number of warnings that occurred while running a process
  • Operation name—The name of the process that was run
  • Time completed—The date and time when the process finished
  • Operation info—General information about the process

View the replica activity log file in a text editor

The contents of the ProReplicaActivityLog file can be viewed directly in a text editor.

Below is an example of the information captured in the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log file using a log level of Debug, while creating a one-way parent-to-child replica.

Viewing the ProReplicaActivityLog file in a text editor

View the replica activity log file using a formatted view

Optionally, you can use the Replica Log Viewer, an ArcGIS Pro custom add-in, to see a formatted view of the replica activity log. The Replica Log Viewer provides the following additional commands when reviewing the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log:

  • Open Log—Browse to the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log file location.
  • Filter by replica name or date range—Filter based on replica names found in the log file or by replica activity using a date range.
  • Show Only Errors & Warnings—Only display errors and warnings captured in the replica activity log file.

Below is a formatted view of the same ArcGIS Pro replica activity log file that contains information captured while creating a one-way parent-to-child replica using a log level of Debug:

Formatted view of the Replica Activity Log file

To access the Replica Log Viewer custom add-in and for steps to install and see a formatted view of the information contained in the ArcGIS Pro replica activity log, see the technical article How To: Get a formatted view of the Replica Activity Log.

Replica log

The Replica Log tab on the Replica Properties dialog box displays information stored in the geodatabase for synchronization events and includes error information if there are errors. It shows when changes have been sent and received and, like the replica activity log, any errors that may have occurred.

The Replica Log tab is located on the Replica Properties dialog box.

Note:

The Replica Log tab is only available for one-way and two-way replicas.

View the replica log

On the Replica Log tab, you can choose how many days of logging you want to see or you can see all logs for a particular replica by checking the Show All Messages option. If Show All Messages is checked, the List messages since text box is unavailable.

In addition, you can filter the results displayed on the Replica Log tab by result type.

Filter the results in the replica log by result type.

The replica log displays the Log Date, Event, and Results items for each message.

  • Log Date—The date and time messages were sent or received
  • Event—Displays whether the message was sent (sent changes) or received (rec changes) by this replica
  • Results—Displays whether the message was sent or received successfully or if a replica conflict or error occurred when the event was attempted

If a conflict or system error is shown in the Results column, right-click the row to access the error report.

Access the replica log error report

If a conflict or system error is shown in the Results column, right-click the row to access the Error Report.

To view the Error Report for conflicts that occurred during replica synchronization, use the Replica Log tab on the Replica Properties dialog box.

The error report for conflicts describes why there is a conflict and, if applicable, a solution to remove the replica from its conflict state.

The Error Report provides a description and solution for a conflict.

The Error Report also shows information about the generation numbers associated with the replica. The beginning and end generation numbers specify the range of edits that were sent to the receiving replica and the target generation specifies the generation number on the target replica that would have received the edits.

Additional information

See the following resources for more information: