How to intercept and replace Quartz.NET's default logging at runtime? - log4net

Question

In order to eliminate human error and avoid the tedium of maintaining who-knows-how-many App.config files, I've decided to set all of my Quartz.NET jobs' Log4Net configurations at runtime, completely in code. No App.config files allowed. I've been successful in getting a standalone console app to do this, as demonstrated here.
However, it's a different story in the scheduler itself. For some reason it's not using the configuration that I'm specifying:
Dim oProperties As New NameValueCollection
' ... Set Quartz.NET properties here
BasicConfigurator.Configure(New Logger.DbAppender)
With New StdSchedulerFactory(oProperties)
Manager.Scheduler = .GetScheduler
End With
I'm running it as a TopShelf service and I'd like the Scheduler's logs to go to the same destination as each of the IJobs. Here, Quartz.NET stubbornly continues to send its output to TopShelf's debugging console window (STDOUT).
This construct works in the console app (linked above); why isn't it working here?

Answer 1

OK, got it. (That didn't take long!)
For some reason, the TopShelf/Quartz.NET combo insists on suppressing logging output if the requisite App.config entries are missing.
In this case, since it's the central scheduler we're dealing with and not a plethora of jobs, I'll bite the bullet and go ahead and use an App.config file for this one.
So the root problem remains unsolved; this is just a workaround for the time being. If you know the answer I'd still be pleased to hear from you. Thanks.

Answer 2

OK, got it. (For REAL this time.)
Clarification: the suppression of logging in the absence of a .config file occurs in Common.Logging when run under the TopShelf/Quartz.NET combination. For some reason it consistently refuses to recognize a runtime-loaded Appender, even when the first line of code in the service configures logging. Still a mystery, but not important. (At least not for me, with this latest discovery—YMMV.)
The only logging that's suppressed is that which follows the buildup and teardown of the Common.Logging library itself; everything that occurs in the service itself is still logged.
I was able to get it to work using the code below (in combination with the code linked to above, of course).
As I said, YMMV.
[Service]
Public Module Main
Sub Main()
Try
BasicConfigurator.Configure(New Logger.DbAppender("ConnectionString"))
Logger = LogManager.GetLogger(GetType(Main))
Environment.ExitCode = HostFactory.Run(Sub(Configurator)
Configurator.Service(Of Manager)(Sub(Service)
Service.ConstructUsing(Function(Factory) As ServiceControl
Return New Manager
End Function)
Service.WhenStarted(Function(Manager, HostControl) As Boolean
Return Manager.StartService(HostControl)
End Function)
Service.WhenStopped(Function(Manager, HostControl) As Boolean
Return Manager.StopService(HostControl)
End Function)
End Sub)
Configurator.SetDescription(ServiceInfo.Description)
Configurator.SetServiceName(ServiceInfo.Product)
Configurator.SetDisplayName(ServiceInfo.Title)
Configurator.StartAutomatically()
Configurator.RunAsLocalSystem()
End Sub)
Catch ex As Exception
EventLog.WriteEntry(ServiceInfo.Product, ex.Message, EventLogEntryType.Error, 1, 1, ex.ToBytes)
End Try
End Sub
Public Property Logger As ILog
End Module
[DbAppender] (updated w/add'l constructor that accepts a connection string)
Public Class DbAppender
Inherits AdoNetAppender
Public Sub New()
Me.New(String.Empty)
End Sub
Public Sub New(ConnectionString As String)
If Trim(ConnectionString) <> String.Empty Then
MyBase.ConnectionString = ConnectionString
End If
MyBase.CommandText = Me.CommandText
MyBase.BufferSize = 1
Me.Parameters.ForEach(Sub(Parameter As DbParameter)
MyBase.AddParameter(Parameter)
End Sub)
Me.ActivateOptions()
End Sub
Protected Overrides Function CreateConnection(ConnectionType As Type, ConnectionString As String) As IDbConnection
Return MyBase.CreateConnection(GetType(System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection), MyBase.ConnectionString)
End Function
Private Overloads ReadOnly Property CommandText As String
Get
Dim _
sColumns,
sValues As String
sColumns = Join(Me.Parameters.Select(Function(P As DbParameter) P.DbColumn).ToArray, ",")
sValues = Join(Me.Parameters.Select(Function(P As DbParameter) P.ParameterName).ToArray, ",")
Return COMMAND_TEXT.ToFormat(sColumns, sValues)
End Get
End Property
Private ReadOnly Property Parameters As List(Of DbParameter)
Get
Parameters = New List(Of DbParameter)
Parameters.Add(Me.Date)
Parameters.Add(Me.Thread)
Parameters.Add(Me.Level)
Parameters.Add(Me.Source)
Parameters.Add(Me.Message)
Parameters.Add(Me.Exception)
End Get
End Property
Private ReadOnly Property [Date] As DbParameter
Get
Return New DbParameter("Date", New DbPatternLayout(PATTERN_DATE), DbType.Date, 0)
End Get
End Property
Private ReadOnly Property Thread As DbParameter
Get
Return New DbParameter("Thread", New DbPatternLayout(PATTERN_THREAD), DbType.String, 255)
End Get
End Property
Private ReadOnly Property Level As DbParameter
Get
Return New DbParameter("Level", New DbPatternLayout(PATTERN_LEVEL), DbType.String, 50)
End Get
End Property
Private ReadOnly Property Source As DbParameter
Get
Return New DbParameter("Source", New DbPatternLayout(PATTERN_SOURCE), DbType.String, 255)
End Get
End Property
Private ReadOnly Property Message As DbParameter
Get
Return New DbParameter("Message", New DbPatternLayout(PATTERN_MESSAGE), DbType.String, 4000)
End Get
End Property
Private ReadOnly Property Exception As DbParameter
Get
Return New DbParameter("Exception", New DbExceptionLayout)
End Get
End Property
Private Const PATTERN_MESSAGE As String = "%message"
Private Const PATTERN_THREAD As String = "%thread"
Private Const PATTERN_SOURCE As String = "%logger.%M()"
Private Const PATTERN_LEVEL As String = "%level"
Private Const PATTERN_DATE As String = "%date{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fff}"
Private Const COMMAND_TEXT As String = "INSERT INTO Log ({0}) VALUES ({1})"
'======================================================================================
' Available patterns:
' http://logging.apache.org/log4net/release/sdk/log4net.Layout.PatternLayout.html
'======================================================================================
End Class