How do I enable tracing in WCF?
Matthew Barrera
Updated on March 30, 2026
Tracing is not enabled by default. To activate tracing, you must create a trace listener and set a trace level other than “Off” for the selected trace source in configuration; otherwise, WCF does not generate any traces. If you do not specify a listener, tracing is automatically disabled.
Where are WCF trace files stored?
4 Answers. The following configuration taken from MSDN can be applied to enable tracing on your WCF service. To view the log file, you can use “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7. 0A\bin\SvcTraceViewer.exe”.
How do I find the server’s diagnostic trace log?
To view a list of servers, select Window > Show View > Servers. Right-click a server. To view the trace log file, select Open Log Files > Trace File from the menu.
What is Traceview?
Traceview is a tool that provides a graphical representations of trace logs. You can generate the logs by instrumenting your code with the Debug class. This method of tracing is very precise because you can specify exactly where in the code you want to start and stop logging trace data.
Where is SvcTraceViewer EXE located?
SvcTraceViewer.exe is included with the Windows SDK for Windows Server 2008 and . NET Framework 3.5, released in March, 2008. It installs by default to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6. 1\Bin\SvcTraceViewer.exe.
How do I enable trace logs?
To enable trace logging for an individual service:
- Access the AIAConfigurationProperties. xml file.
- Set the TRACE. LOG. ENABLED property for the service to TRUE.
- Reload updates to AIAConfigurationProperties. xml.
How do I check my server’s diagnostic trace logs?
Procedure
- To view a list of servers, select Window > Show View > Servers.
- Right-click a server. To view the trace log file, select Open Log Files > Trace File from the menu. To view the messages log file, select Open Log Files > Message Log File from the menu.
How do I open a trace log?
Open a trace log using Traceview
- Start Android Device Monitor.
- In the Android Device Monitor, select File > Open File.
- Navigate to the . trace file you want to inspect.
- Click Open.
What is WCF service trace Viewer tool?
Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) Service Trace Viewer Tool helps you analyze diagnostic traces that are generated by WCF. Service Trace Viewer provides a way to easily merge, view, and filter trace messages in the log so that you can diagnose, repair, and verify WCF service issues.
How do I enable WCF tracing/logging?
You can enable tracing/logging both at the client and service side in their respective config files. To open a trace file, navigate to your WCF installation location (C:Program FilesMicrosoft SDKsWindowsv6.0Bin), then you can find SvcTraceViewer.exe in bin folder or you can also access it from start menu as shown below.
What are the different trace sources in WCF?
The following trace sources are defined: System.ServiceModel: Logs all stages of WCF processing, whenever configuration is read, a message is processed in transport, security processing, a message is dispatched in user code, and so on. System.ServiceModel.MessageLogging: Logs all messages that flow through the system.
How do I view the result traces and message logs?
The resulting traces and message logs are viewed using the Service Trace Viewer Tool (SvcTraceViewer.exe). This sample is based on the Getting Started.
