Summary
The Netsweeper Request Logs allows Admins and SysOps to view Policy Service decisions, in real time. This is an excellent troubleshooting tool, as you can set up a test client and then replicate any behavior variances, while using the Request Logs to see why the Policy Service makes the decisions it does.
Replicate and Troubleshoot
Best practice is to isolate the issue by replicating the behavior using a test Client in an affected group. (If possible, either an IP-based or Client Filter-based test Client is ideal).
With your test Client set up, you can then use your test workstation to recreate the issue while you use the Request Logs to view the exact results of the Policy Service in real time.
The Request Logs Advanced Filter allows you to screen out all other traffic, so that you only need to sift through the traffic generated by your test workstation.
Example: IP-based test Client
The below process requires access to the WebAdmin as well as a filtered test workstation.
- Find and note the IP address of your filtered test workstation.
- Create a test Client in a Group that is experiencing the reported issue you wish to investigate.
- Next, navigate to Logs > Request Logs and select the Advanced Filter button.
- Enter the IP Address of the filtered test machine into the Client IP field and press Enter.
- Note that the Advanced Filter icon turns green, confirming that your custom filter has been applied.
- On your test workstation, navigate to the site you are testing with.
- Check the Request Logs for the results.
In the above example, the URL https://ctvnews.ca was denied as General News. If this website needed to be allowed, this could be accomplished by either allowing the General News category, or by creating an Allow rule using List Management.
Additional Information
For more information on our Request Logs, refer to our Request Logs Functionality documentation.