How to obtain an NWGINA.DLL debug log

  • 7006417
  • 04-May-2012
  • 15-May-2012

Environment

Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.91 Support Pack 2 Login
Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.91 Support Pack 1 Login
Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.91 Login
Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.90 Support Pack 2 Login
Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 4.91 Support Pack 1a Login
Novell Client for Windows 2000/XP/2003 pre-4.90 Login
Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management - ZDM7


 

Situation

When working with Novell Technical Services, a customer may be asked to submit an NWGINA debug log.

Resolution

Prior to 4.90 SP1, it was possible to obtain an NWGINA.DLL debug log only when using an actual debug build of NWGINA.DLL.

In 4.90 SP1 (and the versions of ZENworks that included an equivalent NWGINA.DLL build), NWGINA was changed to allow debug logging through support from ZENPOL32.DLL in ZENworks 6 or later, even in the non-debug builds of NWGINA.DLL. The only way to get a debug log without ZENworks was still the same; you needed a debug build of NWGINA.DLL.

In 4.91 SP3 NWGINA.DLL was enhanced to allow non-ZENworks debug output and logging routines even in non-debug builds of NWGINA.DLL. In NWGINA.DLL 4.91.1.23 14MAR2006 or later, the following registry configuration will enable debug logging even in the non-debug build of NWGINA.DLL, without use of the ZENworks ZENPOL32 logging facilities:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Novell\NWGINA]
"EnableDebugMessageLogging"=dword:00000001

The log file in this case will be written to the"%SystemRoot%\SYSTEM32" directory, as "NWGINA.LOG" or"NWGINA-xx.LOG" (on terminal services), same as with the debug builds. (And different from where ZENPOL32 logging would have placed it.)

Also, the same as the debug build, there is an optional registry value "MaxLogFileSize" that controls the log file size limit and appending behavior:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Novell\NWGINA]
"MaxLogFileSize"=dword:00000000

The default if "MaxLogFileSize" doesn't exist is a value of 0x0000000, which means "truncate the log file at every boot, and do not limit the log file size". When "MaxLogFileSize" exists and is set to any value from 1 to 4194303, it is interpreted as the maximum log file size, in KB, that should be allowed. If the log file reaches this size, the log file is truncated to zero bytes and logging continues. When "MaxLogFileSize" has a non-zero value, the log will be appended to even across reboots of the machine, until the log file reaches the configured maximum size.

 
See KB 3112868 to enable NWGINA.DLL debug logging in ZENworks.