Technical Tip: How to collect FortiClient EMS on-premise logs by diagnostic tool

This article describes how to collect FortiClient EMS on-premise logs by Diagnostic tool and which considerations need to be taken. 

1. It is recommended to have debug enabled by the GUI console at Log Setting before any log recording and analysis:

2. Access the Windows server directory where the FortiClient EMS is installed and locate the DiagnosticTool.exe.

The tool is located by default at:
C:\Program Files(x86)\Fortinet\FortiClientEMS\EMSDiagnosticTool.exe.

It is recommended to execute with administrator rights.

3. The diagnostic tool will gather information on EMS logs and Windows server information and events. It needs to be patient because such a task can take several minutes, depending on server capabilities and the quantity of information that needs to be gathered. 

4. After the competition, a compressed file named 'forticlientems_7.X.X.XXXX_diagnostic_XXX.zip' is created once it is executed.

    

If the Windows folder with the EMS log file is not open automatically, the output file is located at:

C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Temp.

Such files can be used to check logs and further troubleshoot at FortiClient EMS on the on-premise side.

FortiClient EMS v7.4.

In the latest FortiClient EMS v7.4, EMS services are now running on Linux.

To collect Diagnostic Tool via CLI (for example, if Diagnostic Tool via GUI is not working), the following command can be used:

/opt/forticlientems/bin/diagnostic_tool -o <file_name>

A .zip file will be generated with the name defined in <file_name>, for example:

This .zip file will be saved in the root/directory:

Note, starting with FortiClient EMS v7.4.1, a dedicated CLI utility called emscli has been introduced. This CLI utility streamlines and simplifies the diagnostic collection process (including collecting EMS diagnostics and backup via CLI and transferring them to a remote server, all in one command line).

Refer to the following article for more information and use cases of emscli: Technical Tip: How to use emscli CLI tool to manage FortiClient EMS v7.4.1+ from Linux shell.

In addition, since FortiClient EMS now supports VM appliance deployments, where emscli is a default shell, a set of commands for non-VM and VM deployments slightly differ. Refer to the official emscli references for both deployment types below:

1. Commands for EMS virtual appliance template installation
2. Commands for EMS non-virtual appliance template installation

Gathering the correct information and following the appropriate procedure helps with better troubleshooting.