Error log and journal paths

OpenADS has two different on-disk “logs.” Only the server error log is relocatable. The transaction journal always lives under the connection’s data directory.

Server error log — ads_err.dbf

A plain DBF table (SAP-style ads_err) that any DBF tool — or OpenADS itself — can open. Rows record date, time, error code, subsystem (SQL, NET, SERVER), optional source line, and detail text.

Written for:

• SQL statement failures (AdsExecuteSQL / AdsExecuteSQLDirect)
• Error frames returned to remote clients
• Server lifecycle (informational code-0 rows on start and stop)

Where it lives

Mechanism	Setting
Environment	OPENADS_ERROR_LOG_PATH=<dir> (DLL and openads_serverd)
openads.ini (--config)	error_log_path = <dir> (alias error_assert_logs), error_log_max = <KB>
Command line	--error-log-path <dir>, --error-log-max <KB>
SQL at runtime	EXECUTE PROCEDURE sp_mgSetConfigValue('ERROR_ASSERT_LOGS', '<dir>') / ('ERROR_LOG_MAX', '<KB>')

The path is a directory. The file name is always ads_err.dbf.

Defaults when nothing is set:

Platform	Prefer	Fallback if not writable
Windows	C:\ → C:\ads_err.dbf	%ProgramData%\OpenADS, then temp
Linux	/var/log/advantage	~/.openads, then temp
macOS	same idea as Linux	~/.openads, then temp

Size cap: default 1000 KB. When an entry would exceed the cap, the oldest third of rows is dropped and the table is packed (same rotation idea SAP documents for ads_err).

Examples

Command line:

openads_serverd --data "C:\app\data" --port 6262 ^
  --error-log-path "C:\OpenADS\logs" --error-log-max 2000

openads.ini (see also openads.ini.sample at the repo root):

[server]
data = C:\app\data
port = 6262
error_log_path = C:\OpenADS\logs
error_log_max  = 1000

openads_serverd --config openads.ini

Windows service — bake the flag into the registered binPath:

openads_serverd --install-service ^
    --port 6262 --data C:\app\data ^
    --error-log-path C:\OpenADS\logs

Or set OPENADS_ERROR_LOG_PATH for the service account.

Reading the log

Open ads_err.dbf as a table, or query it over any connection.
sp_mgGetConfigInfo reports the active path and max size.

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Transaction journal — openads.txlog (not relocatable)

Per-connection journaling for AdsBeginTransaction / commit / rollback and orphan recovery:

<data-dir>/openads.txlog
<data-dir>/openads.txlog.<n>     ← rotated archives
<data-dir>/openads.lsnmap        ← recovery map

<data-dir> is the directory the connection opened (--data / data= for the server connect path, or the local path passed to AdsConnect60). There is no separate “tx log path” setting.

Drive roots and non-writable data directories

If the data root cannot create files (typical non-elevated --data "C:\" on Windows):

• Connect still succeeds (since v1.8.54)
• Tables in writable subfolders work normally
• Transactions are disabled on that connection (AdsBeginTransaction fails with a clear error)
• A notice is written to stderr (tx journal not writable…)

That notice is expected for whole-drive / legacy_paths ERP deployments that never use ACE transactions. To enable journaling, point data= at a writable folder (and keep using --legacy-paths so absolute client paths still resolve).

openads_serverd --data "C:\OpenADS\data" --legacy-paths ^
  --error-log-path "C:\OpenADS\logs"

See Migrating from ADS for legacy_paths and whole-filesystem layouts.

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Quick reference

What	File	Path control
Server / operational errors	ads_err.dbf	error_log_path / --error-log-path / OPENADS_ERROR_LOG_PATH
Transaction journal	openads.txlog	Always under connection data directory