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LFCS · Question #312

The log level parameter in smb.conf should normally not be set higher than 2 because:

The correct answer is D. The server flushes the log file after each operation, which affects overall performance. Setting the Samba log level parameter higher than 2 is generally discouraged because it causes frequent log file flushes, leading to significant performance degradation.

Submitted by minji_kr· Apr 18, 2026Service Configuration

Question

The log level parameter in smb.conf should normally not be set higher than 2 because:

Options

  • ACredentials supplied by the user are logged, which poses a security risk.
  • BThe increased verbosity has a negative impact on network bandwidth.
  • CMost Samba administrators cannot understand the information presented at higher log levels.
  • DThe server flushes the log file after each operation, which affects overall performance.

How the community answered

(21 responses)
  • C
    5% (1)
  • D
    95% (20)

Why each option

Setting the Samba log level parameter higher than 2 is generally discouraged because it causes frequent log file flushes, leading to significant performance degradation.

ACredentials supplied by the user are logged, which poses a security risk.

While very high log levels can expose sensitive information, the primary and most immediate reason to avoid them is the severe performance impact, not solely the logging of credentials.

BThe increased verbosity has a negative impact on network bandwidth.

The increased verbosity primarily impacts local disk I/O and CPU usage for processing log data, rather than directly affecting network bandwidth.

CMost Samba administrators cannot understand the information presented at higher log levels.

The administrator's understanding of log information is irrelevant to the technical performance implications of verbose logging.

DThe server flushes the log file after each operation, which affects overall performance.Correct

When the `log level` in `smb.conf` is set above 2, Samba generates an excessive amount of log data, often flushing this information to disk after nearly every operation. This high frequency of disk I/O operations consumes significant system resources and severely impacts the overall performance of the Samba server.

Concept tested: Samba logging performance impact

Source: https://www.samba.org/samba/docs/current/manpages/smb.conf.5.html

Topics

#Samba#Logging#Configuration#Performance

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