What is the use of XML files in logs folder?

Issue

• Users can find two sorts of files in the liferay-dxp/logs folder .log and .xml. What is the purpose of XML log files?

Environment

• Liferay DXP 7.2
• Liferay DXP 7.3
• Liferay DXP 7.4

Resolution

• XML log file provides a structured way to store log data, which can be useful in different scenarios:
  1. Custom Log Parsing: Since XML is structured, it's easier to write custom parsers or scripts that extract specific data fields (such as error codes, timestamps, or user IDs) for automated processing or reporting.
  2. Machine-Readable Format: Unlike traditional plain text logs, XML logs are easily parsed by machines or automated systems. This makes it simple to integrate with monitoring tools, log aggregators, and other systems that analyze logs for patterns, errors, or performance issues.
  3. Log Aggregation and Analysis: XML logs can be ingested by centralized logging systems (e.g., Logstash, Splunk) to facilitate advanced querying and visualization. The structured format allows for more sophisticated filtering and correlation of log events.
• With this, the XML log format provides a detailed representation of which method and class errors are coming from, as shown below:

  <log4j:event logger="com.liferay.portal.kernel.util.LoggingTimer" timestamp="1722590570409" level="INFO" thread="main">
  
  <log4j:message><![CDATA[Completed com.liferay.portal.events.StartupHelperUtil#initResourceActions in 18 ms]]></log4j:message>
  
  <log4j:locationInfo class="com.liferay.portal.kernel.util.LoggingTimer" method="close" file="LoggingTimer.java" line="35"/>
  
  </log4j:event>

Additional Information

• How can I disable Liferay's xml log file?