Patent ID: 7120685

Claim:
A method for providing variable frequency logging of activities in a distributed computing system comprising a plurality of computing locations having at least one message logger for monitoring messages and for generating message logger output and a plurality of selectively-enabled trace loggers capable of logging system activities from respective computing locations comprising the steps of: detecting an event trigger comprising a message level error indicative of an error at a computing location based on message logger output; determining the computing location at which said error occurred; responsive to the event trigger and the determined computer location, activating a temporary logging function starting logging by a respective selectively-enabled trace logger for logging system activities for at least said one computing location at which said error occurred so that a source of said error can be determined; logging system activities by the selectively-enabled trace logger; and terminating logging of system activities based on detection of a stop event by selectively disabling the selectively-enabled trace logger.