Class Library for message logging

OK guys, remember I'm the MS guy, not the Java guy. <G>
 
Has anyone developed a pluggable message logging library that
understands job logs? Huh? What? OK, we put a process into production
the other day that "logs" messages to StdOut. Now, that may make some
sense in development, but not in production, too many spool files
running around. 
 
It seems to be that the logical place for this stuff would be the job
log, but then it wouldn't work on development on a PC. Also, if it's
running in WAS I would think the logical place would be WAS's logging
interface, but now that's a third interface. And if we're running on NT,
let's not forget the event log, so now that's 4. Add in Syslog and now
you're up to 5, add BEA and now it's 6, etc.
 
Additionally, if we're logging to the job log I'd want to use "classic"
joblog management options, like keeping the job log if the job end's
abnormally, and adding "severity" levels to the messages. It would seem
to me that we could then also control the severity of the messages
logged by setting a floor so we can omit the detailed messages from the
normal runs, but set a flag to include more detailed messages in other
cases. 
 
I'm thinking a two part system where one part was the log generation API
that is consumed by the programmer to record log entries along
w/severity and date/time stamps. The other part is the log recording API
that is implemented by the back-end system (could be same programmer
<G>) that records this message (or ignores it) to the "appropriate"
place depending on a setting in a .config file. 
 
I've developed something similar on the .NET side of the world
(obviously no iSeries joblog support) but now I'm looking on the Java
side. I'm sure there are some standards out there, but I'm also sure
they don't have joblog support. 
 
Anyone? Bueller? 
 
-Walden
 
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Walden H Leverich III
Tech Software
(516) 627-3800 x11
WaldenL@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.TechSoftInc.com <blocked::http://www.techsoftinc.com/> 

Quiquid latine dictum sit altum viditur.
(Whatever is said in Latin seems profound.)