Removing heartbeat debug messages from socket.io - socket.io

Question

While writing an app that uses socket.io, I'm finding that the heartbeat debug messages drown out the debug messages I want to see. What's the best way to shut off the debug messages for only the heartbeat?

Answer 1

Removing heartbeat debug messages from socket.io
Set up your socket.io with dynamic environmental configurations, and for the development environment turn down the 'heartbeat interval'
Here's some tips, most of them come from the Configuring-Socket.IO page of the socketIO v09 wiki.
var io = require('socket.io').listen(80);
// This is sugar for if process.env.NODE_ENV==='production'
io.configure('production', function(){
// send minified client
io.enable('browser client minification');
// apply etag caching logic based on version number
io.enable('browser client etag');
io.enable('browser client gzip'); // gzip the file
io.set('log level', 1); // reduce logging
// enable all transports
// (optional if you want flashsocket support,
// please note that some hosting
// providers do not allow you to create servers that listen on a
// port different than 80 or their
// default port)
io.set('transports', [
'websocket'
, 'flashsocket'
, 'htmlfile'
, 'xhr-polling'
, 'jsonp-polling'
]);
});
io.configure('development', function(){
io.set('heartbeats', false); //removes heartbeats
io.set('log level', 1); // reduces all socket.io logging, including heartbeats.
});
So do that, and then you're good on the heartbearts being on (the default) in production, and while you're at it -- you got the basic suggested production settings.
Also, depending on framework, or where exactly in the express/socket.io/top-level-app way of making things, you might have a setup like.
app.io.enable('browser client minification');
or
app.configure(function() {
app.enable('junny')
app.set('foo', 'bar')
});
So, to then control the heartbeats, first make sure you're getting the most out of your express/api logging, so load your app like this:
$ DEBUG=* node ./app.js
Then detect if you're in the development env (most top level way):
if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
io.set('heartbeat interval', 60*750);
}
// 60*750 = 45000ms = 45 seconds.
That would be turn the heartbeat interval to 45 seconds.
One can find all options at the socket.io configuration wiki page, a blockquote most relevant to this question:
heartbeat timeout defaults to 60 seconds
The timeout for the client, we should receive a heartbeat from the
server within this interval. This should be greater than the heartbeat
interval. This value is sent to the client after a successful
handshake.
heartbeat interval defaults to 25 seconds
The timeout for the server when it should send a new heartbeat to the
client.
If you want the heartbeats/message still then adjust those times upward, you'll have to test on your own system, but follow the general guideline/ratio and then adjust/test from there.