Changing SNA Trace File Directory May Not Have Any Effect (253926)

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256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

The SNA Server Trace program (Snatrace.exe) was updated in SNA Server 4.0 Service Pack 3 to make the location of SNA Server traces configurable. However, SNA Server traces may continue to be written in the default trace location even after changing the path in the Trace File Directory dialog box in the SNA Server Trace program.

This problem will occur if tracing has previously been enabled on an existing SNA Server 4.0 system prior to applying SNA Server 4.0 Service Pack 3.

CAUSE

Once tracing is enabled on a SNA Server 4.0 system, each SNA Server component specifies an explicit path and file name for the trace files they will generate. Changing the trace file directory in the SNA Server trace program does not change the explicit trace file paths for each of the SNA Server components, so trace files will continue to be written in their default trace location.

RESOLUTION

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
The following procedure can be used to allow the trace file directory specified in the SNA Server Trace program to take effect:

Delete the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SNA Server\CurrentVersion\Traces
This will delete all of the Registry keys under the Traces key as well.
Run the SNA Server Trace program. This recreates the Registry keys that were previously deleted without the explicit trace file paths for each SNA Server component.
If any SNA Server services were running when the previous steps were done, they must be stopped and restarted before new trace files will be generated for those services.

MORE INFORMATION

The trace file location for previous versions of SNA Server could only be changed by modifying the Registry.

Changing the trace file directory path in the SNA Server Trace program changes the following Registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SNA Server\CurrentVersion\Traces\TraceFileDirectory

TraceFileDirectory contains a string value that contains the path to where the SNA Server trace files will be written.

If the SNA Server components listed under the Traces Registry key include an explicit path, the trace files for those components will be written in that specific path and not the "global" path specified in TraceFileDirectory.

The Traces\SnaServr (SNA Server service) key will include Registry entries similar to the following when the problem described here occurs:

InternalTraceFile1:REG_SZ:D:\SNA40\Traces\NODEINT1.ATF 
InternalTraceFile2:REG_SZ:D:\SNA40\Traces\NODEINT2.ATF
MessageTraceFile1:REG_SZ:D:\SNA40\Traces\NODEMSG1.ATF
MessageTraceFile2:REG_SZ:D:\SNA40\Traces\NODEMSG2.ATF

A SNA Server 4.0 Service Pack 3 system that does not experience this problem will have a Traces\SnaServr Registry key similar to the following:

InternalTraceFile1:REG_SZ:NODEINT1.ATF
InternalTraceFile2:REG_SZ:NODEINT2.ATF
MessageTraceFile1:REG_SZ:NODEMSG1.ATF
MessageTraceFile2:REG_SZ:NODEMSG2.ATF