Set Up System Error Notification

You remember that whenever the system generates an error as you view the online store, error messages appear on the screen that shows what causes this error and for most occasions it will also generate the line(s) in the code where this occurred. This has been a great help for us as administrators in debugging system malfunction while setting up the store.

But things are much different when the store is already in the live mode. Having this type of system error notice can cause more harm than help in the store.  Aside from giving a wrong notion to the visitors of the site, this poses a very serious security risk on the online store. The fact that having those precious codes displayed in plain sight can serve as a foothold to hackers to invade the website. Moreover, another incapability of this setup is that even if errors are shown in the display, somehow this doesn’t give the whole detail of the problem, like how does this system error occurred so that it can be replicated or simulated for checking.  Take note that some errors are really not what they seem to be but rather just an after effect of another error.

This is the reason why in this version of eCommerce we enhanced the web store’s means of handling system errors.  The following discussion demonstrates how this new feature is set in this eBusiness system.

Steps

This feature is totally controlled by the AppConfig parameters. Primarily, by the ErrorNotification AppConfig.

1. From the eCommerce module > Setup >Application Configuration option.
   
   
   
   
   
   This will open the AppConfig Parameter setting window.
2. This opens the Application Configuration window. In the Search field enter the keyword “errornotification” to generate the ErrorNotification AppConfig together with its related parameters.
3. When shown, double click the ErrorNotification AppConfig.
   
   
   
   
   
4. This brings up the configuration window of the ErrorNotification AppConfig. This determines where the error log report will be generated whenever a system error occurred.
   
   Valid values for this include File, EventLog and eMail.
   
   In setting this take note of the following:
   1. Setting ErrorNotification to any of these values shows a generalized error message on the screen. Leaving this blank (default), however, will show the actual error on the page.
   2. Entering File into this generates an error log file.
      This error log file is created in the \IMAGES\ERRORS folder of the web resource directory.
   3. Using EventLog, however, enters the error details in the Windows event log.
      1.  To view this event log, open theControl Panel window then go to the Administrative Tools folder by double clicking it from the list.
      2.  In the Administrative Tools window run the Event Viewer utility.
      3. In this you will find the different event logs that are made in the system. The event logs generated by the error notification system of this eBusiness product are found at the Application section. Click on this.
      4. To easily find the right event log for a previously encountered error in the system click the Date column label of the table to sort this from the previous to the most recent.
      5. Once located, double click the error log to show the details of the error.
         1. eMail – Sends an email notification to the admin.
            
            
            
            
            
            In using this setting, take note to configure also the following parameters:
            
            MailMe_ErrorFromAddress
            MailMe_ErrorFromName
            MailMe_ErrorToAddress
            MailMe_ErrorToName
            
            If neither is of this set with a value then this will use the currently set values on the following parameters:
            
            MailMe_FromAddress
            MailMe_FromName
            MailMe_ToAddress
            MailMe_ToName
            
            But see to it that these AppConfig parameters have values.