Logging Exceptions as Traces in Application Insights: A Deeper Dive
The Problem:
You're using Application Insights to monitor your web application. You want to track exceptions, but not as full-fledged errors. You'd rather have them show up as traces, providing more context and allowing for better filtering and analysis.
Rephrasing the Problem:
Imagine you're a detective investigating a crime scene. You need all the details: the location, the witnesses, the time of occurrence. But sometimes, you might only need a specific clue - a fingerprint, a footprint, a partial witness statement. Application Insights allows you to log exceptions in the same way - as full-fledged errors with all the information, or just as a "trace" with a specific detail. This article will help you understand how to use the "trace" option for exceptions.
Code Example:
Here's a simple example of how to log an exception as a trace:
using Microsoft.ApplicationInsights;
using Microsoft.ApplicationInsights.DataContracts;
// ... your code
try
{
// ... code that might throw an exception
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
// Create a trace telemetry item with the exception details
var telemetry = new TraceTelemetry(ex.Message);
telemetry.SeverityLevel = SeverityLevel.Warning; // Set the severity level
telemetry.Properties.Add("ExceptionType", ex.GetType().ToString()); // Add properties
// Track the trace
TelemetryClient.TrackTrace(telemetry);
}
Analysis and Clarification:
- Why log exceptions as traces? By logging exceptions as traces, you can gain more flexibility in analyzing your data. You can easily filter and group traces based on severity, type, and other properties. This is especially useful when you want to track specific types of exceptions without cluttering your error logs.
- Setting the severity level: You can control the severity level of the trace using the
SeverityLevelproperty. This allows you to prioritize different types of exceptions and make sure important issues stand out. - Adding properties: You can add additional information to the trace using the
Propertiesdictionary. This can be helpful for providing context about the exception, such as the user ID, the operation name, or the environment.
Advantages:
- Improved filtering and analysis: By logging exceptions as traces, you can easily filter and analyze your data, identifying specific patterns or trends.
- Reduced noise in error logs: This approach allows you to keep your error logs clean, focusing on genuine errors while analyzing potential issues through traces.
- More control over severity: You can set the severity level of the trace, ensuring that important exceptions are highlighted.
Best Practices:
- Use the
SeverityLevelproperty judiciously. Consider using "Warning" for common exceptions and "Error" for critical issues. - Add informative properties to the trace. This will provide more context and make your analysis more efficient.
- Use specific exception types to filter traces. This allows for more granular analysis and helps you identify specific issues.
Example:
Imagine you're developing an e-commerce website. You want to track cases where a user tries to add a product to their cart but fails due to a specific error. Logging this as a trace with a "cart_error" property and a "Warning" severity level would help you identify and troubleshoot potential problems in the checkout process without overwhelming your error logs.
Conclusion:
Logging exceptions as traces in Application Insights gives you a powerful way to manage your application performance data. This approach allows you to focus on specific issues, analyze data more effectively, and ultimately improve the overall health of your application. Remember to use the approach responsibly and consider the best practices to optimize your monitoring process.
References and Resources:
This article provides a comprehensive guide to logging exceptions as traces in Application Insights, empowering you to gain greater insights into your application's performance and troubleshoot issues efficiently.
