WatchDog is a Realtime Message, Event, HTTP (Request & Response) and Exception logger and viewer for ASP.Net Core Web Apps and APIs. It allows developers log and view messages, events, http requests made to their web application and also exception caught during runtime in their web applications, all in Realtime. It leverages SignalR for real-time monitoring and LiteDb a Serverless MongoDB-like database with no configuration with the option of using your external databases (MSSQL, MySQl, Postgres, MongoDB).

• RealTime HTTP Request, Response, and Exception Logger
• In-code message and event logging
• User Friendly Logger Views
• Search Option for HTTP and Exception Logs
• Filtering Option for HTTP Logs using HTTP Methods and StatusCode
• Logger View Authentication
• Auto Clear Logs Option

• Official support for .NET8
• Support for .NET8 UseOutputCache
• Blacklisting using Regex
• Bug Fixes

• SqlDriverOption is now DbDriverOption (>= v1.4.0)

• .NET Core 3.1 and newer

Install via .NET CLI

dotnet add package WatchDog.NET --version 1.4.11

Install via Package Manager

Install-Package WatchDog.NET --version 1.4.11

To enable WatchDog to listen for requests, use the WatchDog middleware provided by WatchDog.

Add WatchDog Namespace in Startup.cs

using WatchDog;

services.AddWatchDogServices();

This clears the logs after a specific duration.

NOTE When IsAutoClear = true Default Schedule Time is set to Weekly, override the settings like below:

services.AddWatchDogServices(opt => 
{ 
   opt.IsAutoClear = true;
   opt.ClearTimeSchedule = WatchDogAutoClearScheduleEnum.Monthly;
});

Add Database Connection String and Choose DbDriver Option

services.AddWatchDogServices(opt => 
{
   opt.IsAutoClear = true; 
   opt.SetExternalDbConnString = "Server=localhost;Database=testDb;User Id=postgres;Password=root;"; 
   opt.DbDriverOption = WatchDogDbDriverEnum.PostgreSql; 
});

NOTE Add Authentication option like below: Important

This authentication information (Username and Password) will be used to access the log viewer.

app.UseWatchDog(opt => 
{ 
   opt.WatchPageUsername = "admin"; 
   opt.WatchPagePassword = "Qwerty@123"; 
 });

NOTE If your project uses authentication, then app.UseWatchDog(); should come after app.UseRouting(), app.UseAuthentication(), app.UseAuthorization(), in that order

• Blacklist: List of routes, paths or endpoints to be ignored (should be a comma separated string like below).
• Serializer: If not default, specify the type of global json serializer/converter used.
• CorsPolicy: Policy Name if project uses CORS.
• UseOutputCache: If your application uses ASP.NET Output Cache. This feature is only available for .NET8 and above.
• UseRegexForBlacklisting: Enables the use of Regex to blacklist request routes, paths or endpoints.

app.UseWatchDog(opt => 
{ 
   opt.WatchPageUsername = "admin"; 
   opt.WatchPagePassword = "Qwerty@123"; 
   //Optional
   opt.Blacklist = "Test/testPost, api/auth/login"; //Prevent logging for specified endpoints
   opt.Serializer = WatchDogSerializerEnum.Newtonsoft; //If your project use a global json converter
   opt.CorsPolicy = "MyCorsPolicy";
   opt.UseOutputCache = true;
   opt.UseRegexForBlacklisting = true;
 });

This is used to log in-app exceptions that occur during a particular HTTP request.

NOTE Add Exception Logger before the main WatchDog Middleware, preferably at the top of the middleware hierarchy so as to catch possible early exceptions.

app.UseWatchDogExceptionLogger();

...

app.UseWatchDog(opt => 
{ 
   opt.WatchPageUsername = "admin"; 
   opt.WatchPagePassword = "Qwerty@123"; 
   ...
 });

WatchLogger.Log("...Test Log...");
WatchLogger.LogWarning(JsonConvert.Serialize(model));
WatchLogger.LogError(res.Content, eventId: reference);

You can also sink logs from the .NET ILogger into WatchDog

For .NET 6 and above

builder.Logging.AddWatchDogLogger();

For .NET Core 3.1, configure logging and add .AddWatchDogLogger() to the CreateHostBuilder method of the Program.cs class

Host.CreateDefaultBuilder(args)
 .ConfigureLogging( logging =>
 {
     logging.AddWatchDogLogger();
 })
 .ConfigureWebHostDefaults(webBuilder =>
 {
     webBuilder.UseStartup<Startup>();
 });

Start your server and head to /watchdog to view the logs.

Example: https://myserver.com/watchdog or https://localhost:[your-port]/watchdog

Still confused? Check out the implementation in the WatchDogCompleteTestAPI folder or the .NET 6 implementation in the WatchDogCompleteApiNet6 folder.

Feel like something is missing? Fork the repo and send a PR.

Encountered a bug? Fork the repo and send a PR.

Alternatively, open an issue and we'll get to it as soon as we can.

Kelechi Onyekwere - Github Twitter

Israel Ulelu - Github Twitter