Harness the Power of Continuous Web Logs in Microsoft Teams for Better Troubleshooting

Introduction

Microsoft Teams, a pivotal tool in the modern collaborative workspace, is continually evolving to ensure seamless communication and productivity. One such advancement is the introduction of Continuous Web Logs (CWL), a game-changer for monitoring and troubleshooting in Teams. For those who aren't familiar, the Microsoft Teams client automatically generates debug log files, also known as "Web logs," which are instrumental in monitoring and troubleshooting Teams. However, these logs were traditionally constrained by a limited memory buffer, necessitating immediate collection post-issue to maintain the issue's "signature" in the logs. This limitation could complicate the resolution of recent and future issues. Enter CWL, a solution designed to extend the window for troubleshooting significantly.

The Power of Continuous Web Logs

With CWL enabled, once the in-memory buffer reaches its limit, log lines are saved to a file on the user's machine. This innovation extends the log capturing window up to one business day for an average user, providing a much larger window for troubleshooting. An essential tool in the Teams' toolkit, CWL is available to all tenants, though currently disabled by default.

Enabling Continuous Web Logs

Teams' admins can enable CWL using either of the following methods:

1. Assigning TeamsMediaLoggingPolicy via PowerShell cmdlets
2. Setting a Feature Flag enableContinuousWebClientLogging to True with assistance from Microsoft. As a temporary solution, adding {enableContinuousWebClientLogging: true} to hooks.json locally for the user can override the ECS setting for the user and enable CWL.

Soon, Teams admins will have an additional option to enable CWL from the Teams admin center.

When Will CWL Be Enabled?

As of June 1, 2023, CWL will become the default for Teams users with specific desktop system specifications. These include Intel Core i3 and Core i5 (generation 10 or higher), Core i7 and Core i9 (any generation, excluding certain series), Intel Xeon, AMD Ryzen 5, 7, 9, and TR models (excluding U series), and all series of Apple Silicon M1 and M2 chips.

Admins may use the methods listed above to enable CWL for Teams users with lesser system specifications. However, CWL will not be enabled by default for all machines to avoid potential user impact on lower-end devices.

Impact on Your Organization

Teams users should not experience any change in quality or performance with CWL enabled. However, Teams admins will now have increased flexibility in troubleshooting user issues captured in Debug logs.

Preparing for CWL

No action is required from either Teams users or Teams admins. CWL will be enabled for systems with qualifying specifications. Existing Debug logs will remain unchanged for all other Teams users.

Understanding Log Files

Microsoft Teams automatically produces three types of log files to assist in monitoring and troubleshooting Teams: Debug logs, Media logs, and Desktop logs. It's crucial to collect these logs as soon as an issue occurs. When creating a support request with Microsoft Support, the support engineer will require the debug logs. Media or Desktop logs are only required if requested by Microsoft.

In a support request scenario, Debug, Desktop, and Media logs are collected in one folder named "MSTeams Diagnostics Log <local date and time>". This folder can be compressed and shared when you open a support request with Microsoft Support. The folder will contain folders for Desktop, Meeting (Media), and Debug (web). You can collect these files using specific keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac.

Admin and End User Configuration

Admins can manage Media logs for end users, providing a seamless troubleshooting experience, especially when issues are intermittent. They can

use the TeamsMediaLoggingPolicy cmdlet to enable and manage Media logging for users.

End users, on the other hand, need to log diagnostic data for Teams meetings by turning on the option in the Teams client. They can go to Settings > General, select the "Enable media logs" check box (diagnostic data for audio, video, and screen sharing), and reproduce the issue.

Collecting and Sending Media Logs

Before sending the log files to Microsoft support, it's essential to verify the timestamp of the log files to ensure the logs cover the time frame when you reproduced the issue. The log files are available in specific locations based on the operating system (Linux, Windows, Mac).

Desktop Logs

Desktop logs, also known as bootstrapper logs, contain log data that occurs between the desktop client and the browser. These logs are only needed if requested by Microsoft. The logs are text-based and can be read using any text-based editor in a top-down format. The method of collecting these logs varies based on the operating system (Linux, Windows, Mac).

Conclusion

The introduction of Continuous Web Logs in Microsoft Teams marks a significant advancement in troubleshooting and monitoring capabilities. With CWL, admins gain increased flexibility, and Teams users can expect a seamless experience. Embrace the power of CWL to make the most of your Teams experience, ensuring your organization runs smoothly and efficiently.

(Disclaimer: Remember to ensure your systems meet the specified requirements for CWL to be enabled by default. For systems with lower specifications, admins can manually enable CWL as described above.)

(To know more about how to configure and manage log files for monitoring and troubleshooting in Teams, visit Microsoft Teams Log Files.)