Log Rotation

What is Log Rotation?

Log rotation is a critical feature for managing log files in long-running applications. It prevents log files from consuming excessive disk space and provides a clean, organized way to track application logs over time.

How Log Rotation Works in Logdy

When you use the --rotate-file-size argument, Logdy automatically manages your log files to ensure:

Automatic File Size Management

• Logs are written to a primary log file
• When the log file reaches the specified size limit, it is automatically "rotated"
• The current log file is renamed and a new log file is created

Process-Safe Rotation

Logdy's log rotation is designed to be robust and safe, even if the application is unexpectedly stopped or restarted:

• Ensures no log data is lost during rotation
• Handles incomplete rotations gracefully
• Maintains log file integrity across application restarts

Using Log Rotation

To enable log rotation, use the --rotate-file-size argument when starting Logdy:

TIP

You need to use --append-to-file option to start storing logs in a file

logdy --append-to-file=logdy.log  --rotate-file-size 10M  # Rotate logs when they reach 10 megabytes

Benefits

• Prevents individual log files from growing too large
• Helps manage disk space efficiently
• Provides a clean history of application logs
• Ensures continuous logging without manual intervention

Example Rotation Scenario

1. Start Logdy with --append-to-file=logdy.log --rotate-file-size 10M
2. Logs are written to logdy.log
3. When logdy.log reaches 10MB:
   • Current logdy.log is renamed to logdy.1.log
   • A new logdy.log is created for future logs

This process continues automatically, helping you maintain organized and manageable log files.