WatchDog

Introduction

WatchDog is a Realtime Message, Event, HTTP (Request & Response) and Exception logger and viewer for ASP.Net Core Web Apps and APIs. It allows developers log and view messages, events, http requests made to their web application and also exception caught during runtime in their web applications, all in Realtime. It leverages SignalR for real-time monitoring and LiteDb a Serverless MongoDB-like database with no configuration with the option of using your external MSSQL, MySQl or Postgres databases.

General Features

• RealTime HTTP Request and Response Logger
• RealTime Exception Logger
• In-code message and event logging
• User Friendly Logger Views
• Search Option for HTTP and Exception Logs
• Filtering Option for HTTP Logs using HTTP Methods and StatusCode
• Logger View Authentication
• Auto Clear Logs Option

What's New

• In-code logger for messages and events

Fixes

• Fixed Middleware order
• Fixed Index pages not showing on MVC Apps

Support

• .NET Core 3.1 and newer

Installation

Install via .NET CLI

dotnet add package WatchDog.NET --version 1.3.0

Install via Package Manager

Install-Package WatchDog.NET --version 1.3.0

Usage

To enable WatchDog to listen for requests, use the WatchDog middleware provided by WatchDog.

Add WatchDog Namespace in Startup.cs

using WatchDog;

Register WatchDog service in Startup.cs under ConfigureService()

services.AddWatchDogServices();

Setup AutoClear Logs Optional

This clears the logs after a specific duration.

services.AddWatchDogServices(opt => 
{ 
   opt.IsAutoClear = true; 
});

NOTE When IsAutoClear = true Default Schedule Time is set to Weekly, override the settings like below:

services.AddWatchDogServices(opt => 
{ 
   opt.IsAutoClear = true;
   opt.ClearTimeSchedule = WatchDogAutoClearScheduleEnum.Monthly;
});

Setup Logging to External Db (MSSQL, MySQL & PostgreSQL) Optional

Add Database Connection String and Choose SqlDriver Option

services.AddWatchDogServices(opt => 
{
   opt.IsAutoClear = false; 
   opt.SetExternalDbConnString = "Server=localhost;Database=testDb;User Id=postgres;Password=root;"; 
   opt.SqlDriverOption = WatchDogSqlDriverEnum.PostgreSql; 
});

Add WatchDog middleware in the HTTP request pipeline in Startup.cs under Configure()

NOTE Add Authentication option like below: Important

This authentication information (Username and Password) will be used to access the log viewer.

app.UseWatchDog(opt => 
{ 
   opt.WatchPageUsername = "admin"; 
   opt.WatchPagePassword = "Qwerty@123"; 
 });

NOTE If your projects startup or program class contains app.UseMvc() or app.UseRouting() then app.UseWatchDog() should come after Important If your projects startup or program class contains app.UseEndpoints() then app.UseWatchDog() should come before Important

Add list of routes you want to ignore by the logger: Optional

List of routes, paths or specific strings to be ignored should be a comma separated string like below.

app.UseWatchDog(opt => 
{ 
   opt.WatchPageUsername = "admin"; 
   opt.WatchPagePassword = "Qwerty@123"; 
   opt.Blacklist = "Test/testPost, weatherforecast";
 });

Add WatchDog Exception Logger Optional

This is used to log in-app exceptions that occur during a particular HTTP request.

NOTE Add Exception Logger before the main WatchDog Middleware, preferably at the top of the middleware hierarchy so as to catch possible early exceptions.

app.UseWatchDogExceptionLogger();

...

app.UseWatchDog(opt => 
{ 
   opt.WatchPageUsername = "admin"; 
   opt.WatchPagePassword = "Qwerty@123"; 
   opt.Blacklist = "Test/testPost, weatherforecast";
 });

Log Messages/Events

WatchLogger.Log("...TestGet Started...");

View Logs and Exception

Start your server and head to /watchdog to view the logs.

Example: https://myserver.com/watchdog or https://localhost:[your-port]/watchdog

Still confused? Check out the implementation in the WatchDogCompleteTestAPI folder or the .NET 6 implementation in the WatchDogCompleteApiNet6 folder.

Contribution

Feel like something is missing? Fork the repo and send a PR.

Encountered a bug? Fork the repo and send a PR.

Alternatively, open an issue and we'll get to it as soon as we can.

Credit

Kelechi Onyekwere - Github Twitter

Israel Ulelu - Github Twitter