Exceptionless Logging Framework Guide

Overview

ExceptionLess is a free open-source distributed logging framework that provides self-hosted and managed solutions for error tracking and log collection. Key features include:

• Real-time error monitoring
• Structured logging capabilities
• Cross-platform client support
• Custom event categorization
• Powerful search/filter capabilities

GitHub Repositories:

• Main Project: exceptionless/Exceptionless
• .NET Client: exceptionless/Exceptionless.Net

Deployment Options

Self-Hosted Installation (Docker)

docker run --rm -it -p 5000:80 exceptionless/exceptionless:6.1.0

After successful startup:

1. Access dashboard: http://localhost:5000
2. Create account and login
3. Create new project

For production environments, see Self-Hosting Guide

.NET Core Integration

Step 1: Install NuGet Package

Install-Package Exceptionless.AspNetCore

Step 2: Configuration

// appsettings.json
{
  "Exceptionless": {
    "ServerUrl": "http://localhost:5000",
    "ApiKey": "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
  }
}

Step 3: Initialize Middleware

// Startup.cs
public void Configure(IApplicationBuilder app, IWebHostEnvironment env)
{
    // Other middleware
    app.UseExceptionless(Configuration);
    // ...
}

Usage Examples

Automatic Exception Logging

All unhandled exceptions are automatically captured:

// Example controller action
[HttpGet]
public IActionResult ErrorTest()
{
    throw new InvalidOperationException("Sample exception");
}

Manual Error Reporting

try
{
    // Application code
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    ex.ToExceptionless().Submit();
}

Dashboard Features

Key dashboard capabilities:

• Error frequency analysis
• Stack trace visualization
• Environment filtering (DEV/UAT/PROD)
• Custom event tagging
• Team collaboration features

Advanced Configuration

Setting	Description	Default
ServerUrl	Self-hosted instance URL	Managed service
ApiKey	Project authentication key	Required
Enabled	Enable/disable logging	true
Tags	Custom event tags	None
OmitStackTrace	Disable stack traces	false

// Advanced initialization
services.AddExceptionless(config => {
    config.ApiKey = Configuration["Exceptionless:ApiKey"];
    config.ServerUrl = Configuration["Exceptionless:ServerUrl"];
    config.SetVersion("1.2.0");
});

Best Practices

1. Environment Segregation: Use different projects for DEV/UAT/PROD
2. Error Classification: Apply tags like "Critical", "UI-Error", etc.
3. User Context: Attach user information to events

   ExceptionlessClient.Default.CreateLog("LoginFailed")
       .SetUserIdentity(user.Email)
       .Submit();
   

4. Rate Limiting: Configure event submission thresholds
5. Data Retention: Set appropriate retention policies

For full documentation: Exceptionless.Net Wiki