[Feature request] Change log location

[TitaniumCoder477]

BNR points to C:\Temp\Logs. Could we please have VBO's default updated from C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp\logs to C:\Temp\Logs instead too?

[Mike Resseler]

Hi @TitaniumCoder477

I personally don't like C:\Temp. As a former IT administrator I was very keen on cleaning temp folders to keep my servers clean and smooth. Is the only reason you want this because VBR points to it? Or are there other reasons?

Trying to understand why this request

Thanks
Mike

[TitaniumCoder477]

Both are temp locations. Makes no sense to hide the logs, buried in some obscure path. C:\Temp is so much more accessible. Half the time I click right past that path and then I'm like, "Oh heck, where was that path again?" and have to go through the wizard again just to find it. I would much rather have things consistent and pointing to a simplistic path. Even C:\Windows\Temp would be better, in my opinion. The logs should not have secrets in the clear, so I don't think there's a security issue at hand. It's easier to remember to cleanup C:\Temp\ than the other, obscure user temp path.

[chris.childerhose]

Another location that might work for this would be where the job logs are stored - C:\ProgramData\Veeam maybe? This seems to be the central location for many logs so why not this as well. Just a suggestion.

[TitaniumCoder477]

Yes, that would work too as it would resolve the simplicity issue. Still doesn't resolve the consistency issue. VBO team got the colors consistent, why not the log path?

[TitaniumCoder477]

Bit me again, dang it! Clicked through the wizard and then had to do it a 2nd time to note the weird path where the log files are deposited. Here's another recommendation: Just remember the last place where I saved the logs! Then for all those users who apparently do not have this problem or do not care to mention it, nothing changes. But for those like me who do care about this aesthetic issue, at least if I change the path once, it will persist when I create logs again in the future.

[Polina]

James,

Sorry if I'm missing the point, but does the path make a big difference if you can always collect logs automatically with the wizard?

[TitaniumCoder477]

Yes, most definitely because I am not referring to the source log path but the destination log path! That is, when the wizard is used, one of the steps is to choose a destination log path. Problem 1: This defaults to an obscure path instead of C:\Temp\Logs like BNR. Problem 2: If I change this, it is not persistent. The next time I use the wizard to create logs, the path reverts to the default. To be frank, the very need for this post and having to resemble what amounts to the proverbial "squeaky wheel" is revealing a big difference between the VBO product development team and the VBR production development team. The latter listens to end users complaining about "human-computer interaction" issues, also known as UI issues. The former does not appear to care much. While I'm venting, let me share another UI issue. Double-clicking a job should NOT edit the job. If I want to edit it, I should right-click it and choose Edit or some menu item. Double-clicking a job should bring up a better view of the run state, whether present or past, of the job. I understand VBO and VBR are two different products, but the "look and feel" should be consistent. It's frustrating when an intuitive action produces a non-intuitive result.

[Mike Resseler]

@TitaniumCoder477

VBR and VB365 teams are indeed different. The underlying technology is also different. We try to keep the look and feel consistent but sometimes things are indeed different. From the above I understand that you like to see some items changed in the UI and behavior of VB365 to make it match more like that from VBR. On the other hand, I have quite some customers that like this behavior.

I do want to state that the product team of VB365 is listening to their customers a lot. We take every suggestion/ feature request/ ... and log those into our systems and every single one of those gets discussed and labeled. But not everything makes it into next releases.

[TitaniumCoder477]

If Veeam wants customers to use as many of Veeam's products as possible, then there needs to be consist UI design principles in place. I cannot count the number of times I have opened VBO and double-clicked on a job to get a better view of the results, only to have it open the edit workflow. Why does this happen to me? Because VBR is our primary product and VBO a secondary product. I am usually working with VBR from week to week, not VBO. If the reverse was in place, then maybe I would double-click a VBR job expecting to edit it, only to find it open a better view of the job run information. Maybe I would be upset, in the reverse. Obviously you cannot please everyone, so don't pick one or the other. Pick one, whether that is either/or, or something different altogether, and make it the same for both/all. That is the only course of action that will alleviate frustration from customers who use both/all products. That is only common sense. But I have the feeling Veeam lacks inter-product team collaboration. That is, you may not have a UI team that is focused on enforcing common UI principles across all products. That is a shame. I shall continue to bump into UI things that frustrate me, and the result will be that I will vent here more and use the products that frustrate me less. And in the end, Veeam loses revenue. Surely you can see the logic of this. If not, I don't think anything I say will help at this point. As for the log wizard, another solution would be to offer at the end to open the log location for me. Even the PowerShell script at KB2404 for creating a Veeam Agent log bundle does that! So I don't really care so much that the log folder is weird and inconvenient. The program offers to take me there. That is effective "human-computer" interaction. That is what makes users like me happy. We deal with enough chaos and frustration every day in IT. Why make it worse by telling me you put the log bundle in an obscure location, and oh by the way I have to navigate there myself.