SCCM OneTrace Log Viewer to Replace CMTrace

Let’s check the new SCCM log viewer in SCCM called Onetrace. Also, let’s check out whether it can replace CMTrace. Learn about the user experience of Onetrace? You will see it in this post. More details on SCCM Onetrace are in the below section.

Introduction

Microsoft announced a new log reader tool for SCCM admins with the SCCM 1906 production release. This OneTrace tool is still under development; this tool is released as a preview version with SCCM 1906.

SCCM ONETRACE Version 5.1906.1000.1024
SCCM ONETRACE Version 5.1906.1000.1024 1

Microsoft claims that the performance of OneTrace is better than CMTrace. There are performance improvements and modern GUI features with the new OneTrace log reader tool. Let’s get into more details in the below sections.

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OneTrace is NOT a standalone tool like CMTrace at this point. You need to install the Support Center toolset to get access to OneTrace.

How to Install SCCM OneTrace?

As mentioned above, the SCCM OneTrace tool is not a standalone tool like CMTrace. But, it can become an independent tool in the future. I wouldn’t say I like installing MSI to access a log file reader like Onetrace.

SCCM Onetrace SCCM Log Reader tool is part of Support Center tool kit
SCCM Onetrace SCCM Log Reader tool is part of the Support Center tool kit,2

You can get the OneTrace source files from the site server “C:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\tools\SupportCenter/supportcenterinstaller.msi.”

NOTE! – Prerequisite for Support Center OneTrace is .NET Framework version 4.6 or later.

Adaptiva

Let’s go through the installation wizard and select all the default options to install the Support Center tool kit.

If you want to know about the other tools available in the SCCM Support Center tool kit, you can read my previous post, “SCCM Troubleshooting Tool -Support Center ConfigMgrSupportCenter.exe.”

Launch SCCM Support Center OneTrace

The above MSI installation will create four shortcuts in the start menu. And the shortcut for the OneTrace tool is “Support Center OneTrace (Preview).”. Try to launch it and enjoy!

If you install the MSI mentioned above using the default settings, the EXE files will be available in the following folder “C:\Program Files (x86)\Configuration Manager Support Center.”

Checkout the EXEes called:

SCCM Onetrace Log Reader tool is part of Support Center toolkit - Support Center OneTrace (Preview)
SCCM Onetrace Log Reader tool is part of Support Center toolkit – Support Center OneTrace (Preview),3

OneTrace Log Reader – Float Option

One of the exciting features of the SCCM Support Center OneTrace log file reader is its flexibility with the modern UI. You can follow the below steps to get the OneTrace float view:

  • Open OneTrace Log Reader
  • Click on File – Open in NEW TAB
  • Once the LOG file is opened, Right-click on the log file Window and select the Float option to make the log file float around the entire OneTrace UI!!

NOTE1 – It can take you some time to walk through all these options and understand them. It felt like a modern browser (edge, chrome, etc..) UI with close all, Close all but this, Float tabs options! Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve. But for SCCM admins, it’s straightforward 🙂

NOTE 2 – When you right-click on an individual log (log1, as you can see below), Dock as Tabbed Document gives you the default view of log files.

The perfect example of flexibility with modern UI is the FLOAT option. As you can see in the picture below, there are 6 log files (look at the bottom of the screenshot).

I can easily adjust each window according to my needs. It’s super useful.

SCCM OneTrace Log Reader - Float Option
SCCM OneTrace Log Reader – Float Option 4

+ Open New Log Option

Opening a new log option in the OneTrace log will allow you to open multiple records within the same tab. This open new log option is useful in many SCCM real-time troubleshooting scenarios.

As you can see in the below picture (right side – Open Files tab), six (6) log files are opened within one account.

You can filter the different log files with all the column options available. In the below picture, I filtered based on “Time.” You can also see the component names as mentioned below:

  • SCCMGraph
  • OwinHost
  • Microsoft.ConfigurationManager.AdminService

When you click on a particular log entry, you can have abundant manageability options like:

  • Copy log text
  • Copy unformatted log entry
  • Columns
  • Quick Filter Entry
  • Annotate Log Entry
  • Clear Selected log entry
SCCM Onetrace Log file Reader part of Support Center -  + Open New Log Option
SCCM Onetrace Logfile Reader part of Support Center – + Open New Log Option 5

OneTrace Log File Window Options

Following are some of the useful options available in the SCCM Onetrace log reader (preview) version.

  1. Open File
  2. Toggle Hints
  3. BookMark Entry
  4. Previous Error
  5. Next Error
  6. Find Entry
  7. Reset Columns
  8. Pause
SCCM Onetrace Log file Reader part of Support Center - Log file options
SCCM Onetrace Logfile Reader part of Support Center – Log file options 6

How to Deploy OneTrace to Windows Device?

Well, that is a good question. You need to deploy the latest version of supportcenterinstaller.msi through SCCM to all the Windows devices.

  • Use the following command line “msiexec /i “supportcenterinstaller.msi” /q” to Install the Support Center app.
  • Use the following command to uninstall the app – msiexec /x {152D3CA3-8C5E-43BF-BFEB-4CF5B8B092F6} /q
  • Product code of Support Center version with SCCM 1906 is : {152D3CA3-8C5E-43BF-BFEB-4CF5B8B092F6}
SCCM Onetrace Log file Reader - Application Deployment through SCCM
SCCM Onetrace Logfile Reader – Application Deployment through SCCM 7

NOTE! – SCCM Support Center OneTrace won’t work without all the dependent files in the installation folder with this preview version. Unlike CMTrace, OneTrace is NOT a standalone EXE tool.

Replace CMTrace with OneTrace?

Can I replace CMTrace with OneTrace? I don’t think. Because:

  • OneTrace is in Preview, so still under development
  • OneTrace is not a Standalone EXE like CMTrace. You can’t just copy the OneTrace.exe to a machine and start using it. Not you need to have all the dependent files for that to work.
  • OneTrace is not supported in WinPE scenarios yet (because of WPF dependency).

Resource

2 thoughts on “SCCM OneTrace Log Viewer to Replace CMTrace”

  1. looks promising Sir. Will give it a try. As you said its still under construction so will share the details if any bug found.

    Reply

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