Nova Log Viewer Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Steps

1. Installation Run the following command in your Laravel project directory:

   composer require laravel/nova-log-viewer
   

2. Registration Register the tool in your NovaServiceProvider (app/Providers/NovaServiceProvider.php):

   public function tools()
   {
       return [
           \Laravel\Nova\LogViewer\LogViewer::make(),
           // ... other tools
       ];
   }
   

3. First Use Case

   • Access the Log Viewer tool from the Nova sidebar.
   • View logs in real-time with auto-refresh (polling enabled by default).
   • Filter logs by level (e.g., error, debug) or keyword (e.g., authentication).

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Real-Time Log Monitoring

   • Enable polling for live updates (default interval: 10 seconds).
   • Customize polling interval via config:

     LogViewer::make()->withPollingInterval(5); // Refresh every 5 seconds
     

   • Useful for deployment monitoring or incident response.

2. Debugging with Nova

   • Filter logs by level (e.g., error, warning) or search for keywords.
   • Copy log entries directly from Nova to share with teammates.
   • Link to resources (e.g., attach to a User resource for context):

     LogViewer::make()->viaResource(\App\Nova\User::class);
     

3. Integration with Nova Features

   • Extend the tool by publishing its assets:

     php artisan vendor:publish --tag=nova-log-viewer
     

   • Customize UI by overriding the tool’s Blade view in resources/views/vendor/nova.

4. Log Management

   • Clear logs via Laravel’s Log::clear() (if extended in a custom tool).
   • Configure log retention in .env:

     LOG_MAX_FILES=5
     

Advanced Patterns

1. Conditional Tool Registration

   • Disable the tool in specific environments (e.g., production-only):

     public function tools()
     {
         if (app()->environment('production')) {
             return [
                 LogViewer::make(),
             ];
         }
         return [];
     }
     

2. Log-Level-Specific Tools

   • Create separate tools for different log levels:

     LogViewer::make()->withLogLevel('error')->name('Error Logs'),
     LogViewer::make()->withLogLevel('debug')->name('Debug Logs'),
     

3. Polling Optimization

   • Reduce polling frequency for high-traffic apps:

     LogViewer::make()->withPollingInterval(30); // Every 30 seconds
     

4. RBAC for Log Access

   • Restrict log viewer access to specific roles (e.g., Admin):

     LogViewer::make()->authorize(function ($request) {
         return $request->user()->can('view logs');
     });
     

Gotchas and Tips

Common Pitfalls

1. Polling Performance Issues

   • Problem: High polling intervals (e.g., 1s) can overload the server.
   • Fix: Set a reasonable default (e.g., 10s) and adjust based on log volume.
   • Debug: Check Nova’s nova.log for polling-related errors.

2. Missing Log Files

   • Problem: Log files not appearing if Laravel’s log driver isn’t configured correctly.
   • Fix: Ensure LOG_CHANNEL in .env points to a valid driver (e.g., single, daily).
   • Debug: Verify log files exist in storage/logs/.

3. Authentication Bypass

   • Problem: Unauthenticated users may see a 403 instead of a redirect.
   • Fix: Ensure the Authenticate middleware is properly registered (fixed in v1.2.0+).

4. Large Log Files Slowing Nova

   • Problem: Nova UI lags when loading large log files.
   • Fix: Limit log retention or use a dedicated log management system for production.

Debugging Tips

1. Check Nova’s Logs

   • Errors related to the log viewer appear in storage/logs/nova.log.

2. Verify Tool Registration

   • Ensure the tool is registered in NovaServiceProvider::tools() and no syntax errors exist.

3. Polling Debugging

   • Disable polling temporarily to test static log loading:

     LogViewer::make()->withoutPolling();
     

4. Log Driver Issues

   • Test with the single log driver for simplicity:

     LOG_CHANNEL=single
     

Configuration Quirks

1. Custom Log Paths

   • The package defaults to storage/logs/laravel.log. To change:

     LogViewer::make()->withLogPath('custom/path/to/logs');
     

2. Environment-Specific Settings

   • Override polling interval per environment:

     $interval = app()->environment('local') ? 2 : 10;
     LogViewer::make()->withPollingInterval($interval);
     

3. Tool Visibility

   • Hide the tool from specific Nova users:

     LogViewer::make()->visible(function ($request) {
         return $request->user()->isAdmin();
     });
     

Extension Points

1. Custom Log Parsing

   • Extend the log viewer to parse custom log formats by overriding the resolveLogContents method in a custom tool class.

2. Add Log Actions

   • Integrate with Nova’s action system to perform actions on log entries (e.g., "Replay Job"):

     LogViewer::make()->withActions([
         new ReplayJobAction,
     ]);
     

3. Log Correlation

   • Enhance logs with request IDs or user contexts by modifying the log format in app/Providers/AppServiceProvider.php.

4. Export Logs

   • Add a feature to export logs to a file or email by extending the tool’s handleExport method.

Performance Tips

1. Reduce Polling Overhead

   • Use webhooks or Laravel Echo for real-time updates in high-traffic apps.

2. Log File Rotation

   • Configure Laravel’s log rotation to manage file sizes:

     LOG_MAX_FILES=7
     LOG_LEVEL=debug
     

3. Caching Log Metadata

   • Cache log file metadata (e.g., last modified) to reduce I/O operations during polling.

Security Considerations

1. Log Access Control

   • Restrict log viewer access to authorized roles:

     LogViewer::make()->authorize(function ($request) {
         return $request->user()->hasRole(['admin', 'dev']);
     });
     

2. Sensitive Data in Logs

   • Mask sensitive data (e.g., passwords, tokens) before logging using Laravel’s Log::withContext().

3. Log File Permissions

   • Ensure Nova’s storage directory has proper permissions:

     chmod -R 755 storage/