How to View xNIC Logs

WHAT TO EXPECT

In this article, users will learn how to view logs in VMs that has xNIC installed.

Locating xNIC Logs

An xNIC installed on a virtual machine creates one .log file per day with the following naming structure: swx-xnic.log.N (where N is a number from 1 to 9; when the system gets to the number 9, the next log will be 1). If the file size exceeds the maximum within the same day (16MB), it will be renamed by adding a counter as a suffix. Then, a new file will be created.

To find the logs, use the following file paths:

Windows

• C:\Users\Public\swxtch\logs

Linux

• /var/log/swxtch

For Linux, logs can also be viewed by using journalctl:

sudo journalctl -u swx-xnic -n 500 -f

PLEASE NOTE

Standard journalctl arguments apply (see the How to View cloudSwXtch and swXtchBridge Logs using shell page for more details). The above examples use -n for number of lines and -f to follow.

What is the verbosity level?

Depending on the level of verbosity detailed in the xNIC config file, a log will contain different application messages and usage statistics. The default verbosity level after xNIC installation is 0, which means that no periodic statistics are being reported. It will only show start and stop information, as well as critical errors.

• Level 0: Only show start and stop info as well as critical errors. This is the default.

• Level 1: Shows statistics and IGMP messages

• Level 2: Additional control messages

• Level 3: Hexadecimal dumps of control/config packages

• Level 4: Hexadecimal dumps of data packages

An average user would typically only need up to Level 2 for troubleshooting issues with their xNIC.

How to Change Verbosity

To change the verbosity, a user can manually edit the xNIC config file on their VM.

For Windows

1. Go to the swx-xnic folder on the VM where the xNIC is installed:
   C:\Program Files\SwXtch.io\swx-xnic\swx-xnic-config.json
   

2. Open the swx-xnic-config.json file.

3. Change the number next to "verbosity" so that it matches the level you desire. The default is 0.
   

4. Save and Close the JSON file.

5. Open "Task Manager" and go to the "Services" tab at the top right  of the window.

6. To apply changes from the JSON file, scroll down to "swx-xnic-service" and right-click on it.

7. Select Restart.
   

The selection in verbosity will now be applied to future logs. This should only be changed if directed by swXtch.io, and ensure that they are set back to default when troubleshooting is complete.

PLEASE NOTE

Alternatively, the service can be restarted using PowerShell:

Restart-Service -Name swx-xnic-service

For Linux

1. Enter the following command to view your config file in the terminal. Make sure it is on the xNIC you want logs for.

   sudo nano /var/opt/swxtch/swx-xnic-config.json

2. Look for "verbosity" line and change the value to match the desired level. The default is 0.

3. Save and Exit the file (in nano, use CTRL+X, then hit “Y”, then “Enter”)

4. Restart the swx-xnic service by using the following command

   sudo systemctl restart swx-xnic

The selection in verbosity will now be applied to future logs. This should only be changed if directed by swXtch.io, and ensure that they are set back to default when troubleshooting is complete.