The report generator was originally designed to consume the structured log format produced by the NAS Backup Automation Framework but can be used with any automation that produces the same structured schema.
Structured-Log-Report-Generator.ps1 analyzes structured log files and generates consolidated HTML, CSV, and JSON reports. Its primary output is an interactive HTML dashboard that summarizes execution status, detects Live and Dry Run executions, extracts warning and failure context, and provides expandable troubleshooting details.
The primary design goal is to provide a single operational dashboard that allows administrators to determine the health of multiple automated jobs at a glance, highlighting only the scripts that require investigation. Instead of manually opening and reviewing individual log files, administrators can quickly identify successful runs, warnings, incomplete executions, and failures from a single report.
Because the report generator operates on a standardized structured log format rather than script-specific output, new automation can be integrated simply by producing compatible logs and adding the corresponding log folder to the configured search paths. This allows the same reporting framework to be reused across backup jobs, Hyper-V automation, maintenance scripts, and future operational workflows without modifying the reporting engine.
The generated HTML dashboard provides an at-a-glance operational view of recent structured log activity.
Interactive HTML dashboard showing:
- Summary cards
- Interactive filtering by Status, Execution Mode, and Node
- Color-coded execution states
- Expandable warning and failure details
- Direct links to the originating log files
Selecting View Details expands structured warning and failure context without requiring the original log file to be opened manually.
This project is part of a larger automation ecosystem built around a reusable structured logging standard.
- NAS Backup Automation Framework – Produces the structured logs consumed by this report generator while automating scheduled backup, disaster recovery, and retention workflows.
The report generator is intentionally independent of the automation producing the logs. Any script or application that emits the documented structured log format can be integrated by adding its log folder to $RootLogFolders.
Each run creates a folder like:
\\Server\Share\Reports\2026-07-01_143000
Inside that folder:
Structured-Log-Report-Generator.log
NAS_Consolidated_Report.csv
NAS_Consolidated_Report.html
NAS_Consolidated_Report.json
The HTML file is the main non-technical dashboard. CSV and JSON are for filtering, automation, or later reporting.
Edit the configuration section at the top of the script:
$RootLogFolders = @(
'\\PrimaryNAS\Script_Logs',
'\\SecondaryNAS\Script_Logs'
)
$ReportFolder = '\\Operations\Reports'
$LookBackDays = 7
$ExcludeFolders = @()
$ConsolidatedFileTypes = @('Csv', 'Html', 'Json')
$MutexName = 'Global\Structured_Log_Report_Generator'
$OpenReportsAfterGeneration = $trueSet $OpenReportsAfterGeneration to $true to automatically open the generated HTML dashboard when the script completes.
Run the script using your preferred method (PowerShell console, Task Scheduler, or another automation tool).
Normal run:
.\Structured-Log-Report-Generator.ps1Troubleshooting run with verbose output:
.\Structured-Log-Report-Generator.ps1 -VerboseThe report generator distinguishes between:
- Live
- DryRun
Completed Dry Run executions are intentionally reported as Warning so they remain visible in the dashboard while still indicating successful execution.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Success | Live execution completed successfully and a RUN_COMPLETE success marker was found. |
| Warning | Warning markers were found, or the log represents a completed Dry Run execution. |
| Failed | Failure or error markers were found. |
| Incomplete | No successful RUN_COMPLETE marker was found. |
| Empty | Log contains no records. |
| Unreadable | The report generator could not read the log file due to insufficient permissions, a file lock, or another filesystem error. |
| Unknown | No recognized status markers were found. |
The report generator expects logs that follow a consistent, pipe-delimited structured format. It was originally designed to consume logs produced by the NAS Backup Automation Framework but can be used with any automation that emits the same schema.
Timestamp | RunId | Level | System | Service | Node | Action | Target | Metric | Result | Message
Example:
2026-06-19T18:41:50Z | 20260619T184150Z-20900 | INFO | NAS-COPY | WeeklyBackup | PrimaryNAS | COPY | FileServer01 | 0 | SUCCESS | copied
2026-06-19T18:41:51Z | 20260619T184150Z-20900 | WARN | NAS-COPY | WeeklyBackup | PrimaryNAS | COPY | AppServer01 | 1 | WARNING | destination contained additional files
2026-06-19T18:41:52Z | 20260619T184150Z-20900 | INFO | NAS-COPY | WeeklyBackup | PrimaryNAS | RUN_COMPLETE | script | 00:00:02 | SUCCESS | finished
The report generator analyzes these structured records to determine:
- Execution Status (
Success,Warning,Failed,Incomplete,Empty,Unreadable, orUnknown) - Execution Mode (
LiveorDryRun) - Completion State
- Node
- Warning Context
- Failure Context
Status detection relies on structured values such as:
RUN_COMPLETESUCCESSWARNINGERRORFAILEXECUTION_MODE=DRY_RUN
Any automation capable of producing this structured format can be integrated simply by adding its log folder to $RootLogFolders. No changes to the report generator are required.
Run from a service account that has:
- Read access to all
$RootLogFolders - Write access to
$ReportFolder - Permission to create folders and files under
$ReportFolder
The script uses a named mutex to prevent overlapping local runs.
A common deployment pattern is to schedule the report generator to run shortly before routine operational reviews so the dashboard reflects the latest execution status of all monitored automation.
- Only logs modified within
$LookBackDaysare included. - Only immediate child folders under each root are searched.
- Reports are sorted by Status, Node, and Last Modified time.
- HTML reports include interactive filtering by Status, Execution Mode, and Node.
- Warning and failure rows include surrounding context lines.
- All files from a single run are grouped in one timestamped folder.