Error Handling module overview

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Description
• How it works
• Log levels
• Handlers
  • Errorlog handler
  • New Relic handler
• Error Handling system vs. Activity Logging system

Description

The error handling system aims to handle and report all important errors and events on specified channels (.log files, emails, 3rd party services like NewRelic, SMS, etc.). It’s based on top of Laravel’s logger (which itself is based on top of the Monolog library).

For a deeper understanding of the system, you should read the following docs:

• Laravel’s logger
• Using Monolog

This document assumes that you have already read the docs from the list above.

How it works

The system is registered in bootstrap/app.php (look for configureMonologUsing method) and works in 2 cases:

• when you call Log::debug, Log::info or any other method of the \Illuminate\Support\Facades\Log::class.
• when exception handler catch en exception (including PHP Fatal error and other Throwable objects).

Depending on the severity level and environment, it uses different sets of handlers (email, SMS, etc.).

Log levels

level	description
debug	Detailed debug information.
info	Interesting events. Examples: User logs in from a new place.
notice	Normal but significant events
warning	Exceptional occurrences that are not errors. Examples: Use of deprecated APIs
error	Runtime errors that do not require immediate action but should typically be logged and monitored.
critical	Critical conditions. Example: Application component unavailable
alert	Action must be taken immediately. Example: Entire website down
emergency	Emergency: system is unusable, huge security vulnerability

Handlers

Weight / Level	100: debug	200: info	250: notice	300: warning	400: error	500: critical	550: alert	600: emergency
Daily log file	V	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
New Relic			V	V	V	V	V	V
Errorlog					V	V	V	V
Slack						V	V	V

Errorlog handler

PHP has a built-in error logging system using the error_log() method. Our servers are configured to use /var/log/php_errors.log file to store all events created by error_log.

New Relic handler

To provide the PHP exception stack trace to New Relic, you should pass an array that includes your exception available by exception key as a second parameter to the Log::{level} method:

try {
    doSomethingWhichMayThrowAnException();
} catch (S3Exception $s3exception) {
    Log::alert($s3exception->getMessage(), ['exception' => $s3exception]);
} catch (\Exception $exception) {
    Log::warning($exception->getMessage(), ['exception' => $exception]);
}

Error Handling system vs. Activity Logging system

Activity Logging system is intended to log some important (in terms of member support) user and script activity.