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This guide explains how the backend system logger is configured and what each setting changes at runtime.

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Overview

The current logger is built on nestjs-pino and pino.
  • HTTP request logs and Nest application logs go through the same logger pipeline.
  • Logs are written to the console and to a rotating file at the same time.
  • In non-production environments the console output is prettified with pino-pretty.
  • In production the console output stays as structured JSON on stdout.
  • The default log file is xpert-server.log.

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Configuration

VariableDefaultDescription
NODE_ENVdevelopmentControls console formatting. production keeps JSON output on stdout; other values use pretty single-line output.
LOG_LEVELlogBase log level. Nest-style values are mapped to pino levels: verbose -> trace, debug -> debug, log -> info, warn -> warn, error -> error, fatal -> fatal. Direct pino levels such as trace, info, fatal, and silent also work.
LOG_FILE_PATHunsetFull path of the active log file. When set, it takes precedence over LOG_DIR.
LOG_DIR<process.cwd()>/logsLog directory used when LOG_FILE_PATH is not set. The active file name is xpert-server.log.
LOG_FILE_MAX_SIZE10mMaximum size of the active log file before rotation. Supported units: b, k, kb, m, mb, g, gb.
LOG_FILE_MAX_FILES5Total number of files kept, including the active file.

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Output behavior

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Console

  • NODE_ENV=production: raw JSON logs are written to stdout.
  • Any other environment: logs are colorized, flattened to one line, and formatted with readable timestamps.

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File

  • File logs are always written as structured JSON.
  • The destination directory is created automatically when needed.
  • The logger opens the file in append mode, so restarts continue writing to the same active file.
  • Path resolution follows this order: LOG_FILE_PATH -> LOG_DIR/xpert-server.log -> <process.cwd()>/logs/xpert-server.log.

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Rotation behavior

  • Rotation happens before a write that would push the active file past LOG_FILE_MAX_SIZE.
  • Rotated files are named like xpert-server.log.1, xpert-server.log.2, and so on.
  • LOG_FILE_MAX_FILES=5 means 1 active file plus 4 backups.
  • LOG_FILE_MAX_FILES=1 keeps no backup files and replaces the active file on each rotation.

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Request metadata and safety

Each request log is enriched with:
  • service: xpert-server
  • env
  • traceparent
  • tracestate
The logger also applies these protections:
  • Reuses x-request-id only when the incoming header is a valid UUID.
  • Generates a new UUID when the request does not provide a valid request id.
  • Returns the final request id in the response header x-request-id.
  • Skips automatic access logging for /health and /api/health.
  • Redacts sensitive fields with [Redacted].
The current redaction list covers:
  • req.headers.authorization
  • req.headers.cookie
  • req.headers["x-api-key"]
  • req.body.password
  • req.body.token
  • req.body.accessToken
  • req.body.refreshToken

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Bootstrap integration

The logger is wired into Nest during bootstrap:
  • providePinoLoggerModule() registers the pino HTTP logger.
  • app.useLogger(app.get(Logger)) makes Nest use the pino-backed logger.
  • NestLogger.overrideLogger(resolveNestLogLevels()) keeps Nest log filtering aligned with LOG_LEVEL.
That means the same configuration controls both framework logs and request logs. Use a directory-based configuration: 
NODE_ENV=production
LOG_LEVEL=info
LOG_DIR=/var/log/xpert
LOG_FILE_MAX_SIZE=50m
LOG_FILE_MAX_FILES=7
Use a fixed file path: 
NODE_ENV=production
LOG_LEVEL=debug
LOG_FILE_PATH=/var/log/xpert/xpert-server.log
LOG_FILE_MAX_SIZE=100m
LOG_FILE_MAX_FILES=10
When LOG_FILE_PATH is set, LOG_DIR is ignored.

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Relevant source files

  • xpert/packages/server/src/logger/pino-logger.ts
  • xpert/packages/server/src/logger/pino-rotating-file.stream.ts
  • xpert/packages/config/src/environments/ienvironment.ts
  • xpert/packages/server/src/bootstrap/index.ts