Re: Custom log format

On Sat, 17 Nov 2001, Henrik Nordstrom wrote:

> I have started tinkering on requirements for a custom
> log format specification.
>
> http://devel.squid-cache.org/customlog/
>
> Please review the format specification tags to see if
> they make sense and are consistent, or if I have forgot
> something important.

Much Web research, particularly Web caching research, relies
on Squid logs. Therefore anything you can do to improve the
accuracy and level of detail in the logs will help the
research community.

I like what you've done so far. The ability to log all
request headers and all reply headers is a very important
enhancement. In addition, it would be very useful if Squid
could optionally log the following:

   1) microsecond-resolution timestamps

   2) a digest (MD5, SHA1, or similar) of message bodies
        (both request and reply bodies)

   3) entire requests and replies, including all headers
        and bodies, for a) the request received from the
        client by Squid, b) the request (if any) issued
        by Squid to the origin server, c) the origin
        server's reply (if any), and d) the reply sent
        to the client by Squid

You might also look at items A.3.2 and A.3.3 in RFC 3143,
available at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3143.txt

One problem with your existing documentation is that it's
not clear what is meant by "Request header": Are you
talking about the request *received* by Squid from a client,
or the request *sent* by Squid to an origin server? It
should be possible to log both! The same goes for "Reply
header". At the very least, make it clear *whose* request
and reply headers you're talking about.

The basic principle is simple: If verbose proxy logging is
enabled, it should be possible to recover from the proxy log
all information available to the proxy during its operation.
Received on Mon Nov 19 2001 - 17:54:24 MST