Release history for the module on PowerShell module DNSServer.DebugLogParser

Release notes v1.2.0.0 (2026-01-25)

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Added

NEW: Multi-line record processing for DNS PACKET detail blocks
- PACKET context entries can now include detailed TCP/UDP connection information and DNS message structure
- Detail blocks are parsed into structured JSON format in the new Details column
- Includes: Socket info, remote address/port, timing data, message structure (XID, Flags, QCOUNT, etc.)
- DNS sections (QUESTION, ANSWER, AUTHORITY, ADDITIONAL) are captured with full record details
- Encoded domain names in detail blocks are automatically converted to FQDN format
NEW: Details column in CSV output
- Contains structured JSON data for PACKET entries with detail blocks
- Empty for PACKET entries without details and all non-PACKET contexts
- Enables deep packet analysis and forensic investigation of DNS queries/responses
NEW: NoDetailsParsing switch parameter for performance optimization
- Skips expensive JSON parsing of PACKET detail blocks
- Can improve processing speed by 30-50% for logs with many detail blocks
- Use when processing very large files (100MB+) and detailed packet structure is not needed
- Detail blocks are still collected in Information column, but Details column remains empty
NEW: Multi-line continuation support for non-PACKET contexts
- EVENT, Note, DSPoll, and other contexts can now span multiple lines
- Indented continuation lines are automatically joined to the main record’s Information field
- Preserves complete error messages, zone updates, and diagnostic output
NEW: ContextFilter recognizes additional context types: DSPoll, Init, Lookup, Recurse, Remote, Tombstone
- Effect: Convert-DNSDebugLogFile can now include/exclude these diagnostic and lifecycle entries via -ContextFilter
NEW: Statistics output now includes two dedicated files
- _Statistic.csv: Daily record counts per context type (Date, Context, Count, ComputerName)
- _PacketStatistic.csv: Daily PACKET counts by client/protocol/direction/type (Date, ClientIP, Protocol, Direction, QuestionType, Count, ComputerName)
- Benefit: More focused reporting (operational context volume vs. DNS traffic breakdown)
JSON generation for PACKET detail blocks is optimized for performance (manual parsing instead of regex)

Changed

BREAKING: CSV output now includes 18 columns (added Details column before ComputerName)
- New column order: DateTime, ThreadId, Context, PacketId, Protocol, Direction, ClientIP, Xid, Type, Opcode, FlagsHex, FlagsChar, ResponseCode, QuestionType, QuestionName, Information, Details, ComputerName
- Impact: Scripts that rely on column positions must be updated
- Benefit: Rich packet analysis capabilities without changing existing Information column behavior
Data line processing refactored to read all lines into memory for efficient multi-line record detection
- Performance: Minimal impact due to optimized List usage
- Benefit: Enables accurate lookahead for detail blocks and continuation lines
Question names that are missing or encoded as empty are now handled gracefully (no parse errors); CSV output will contain an empty QuestionName field when absent

Improved

Convert-DNSDebugLogFile parsing is more resilient: stricter line validation and improved extraction reduce spurious/invalid rows from malformed logs while preserving the CSV/statistic output format
PACKET context detection distinguishes between simple queries and queries with detail blocks
Empty lines after PACKET entries without details are properly skipped
Domain name decoding in detail blocks uses existing ConvertTo-Fqdn function for consistency

Performance

Processing speed maintained for logs without detail blocks
NoDetailsParsing switch provides 30-50% speed improvement when JSON parsing is not needed
Efficient state management during multi-line record processing
Optimized string operations (TrimStart, Join) instead of regex for continuation line handling

Notes

These changes are designed to be backward compatible for normal usage. If you rely on an exact set of context names or previously-strict parsing behavior, please validate downstream scripts
The new Details column is always present in CSV output; use NoDetailsParsing to keep it empty for performance
Existing scripts that parse CSV by column position need to account for the new Details column (position 17, before ComputerName)

Release notes v1.0.0 (2026-01-23)

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Added

Initial release
Convert-DNSDebugLogFile - High-performance parser for Windows DNS Server debug log files
Parses all 15 standard fields from DNS debug logs into structured CSV format
Supports customizable CSV delimiters (default: semicolon)
Optional ComputerName column for multi-server log consolidation
Three output modes: CSV data only, statistics only, or both
Statistical summaries aggregating activity by client IP, protocol, and query type
Pipeline support for batch processing multiple log files
Header validation to ensure data integrity (can be bypassed if needed)
Optional automatic compression of output files (ZIP format)
Optional removal of source files after successful processing
Culture-aware date parsing and formatting for international DNS servers
Optimized for large files (100MB + ) using streaming I/O and efficient string operations
Compatible with PowerShell 5.1+ (Desktop and Core editions)
Supports Windows Server 2016+ and DNS Server 2012 R2 through 2025 log formats

Release notes v1.1.0 (2026-01-23)

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Added

NEW: ContextFilter parameter for selective log parsing
- Filter log entries by context type: PACKET (DNS queries/responses), EVENT (server events), or Note (diagnostic information)
- Allows focused analysis on specific log entry types
- Default: All (includes all context types)
- Use cases: Focus on DNS traffic only, monitor server events, troubleshoot diagnostic issues
NEW: Information field in CSV output
- Captures detailed information for EVENT and Note context entries
- Examples: “The DNS server has started.”, “Zone loading completed”, socket errors, internal state messages
- Enhances visibility into DNS server operational events and diagnostics
- Field is populated when Context is EVENT or Note; empty for PACKET entries

Changed

BREAKING: ComputerName column now always included at the end of all output records
- Previously: ComputerName was conditionally included at the beginning when parameter was specified
- Now: ComputerName always present as the last column; empty when parameter not specified
- Benefit: Consistent output structure simplifies multi-server log consolidation and automated processing
- Impact: Existing scripts that parse column positions or expect conditional column presence must be updated

Added

Context filtering to focus on specific log entry types (PACKET, EVENT, NOTE) via ContextFilter parameter

Improved

Refactored comment-based help for Convert-DNSDebugLogFile for better clarity and conciseness
Updated parameter descriptions to be more informative and actionable
Improved example documentation with more focused and practical use cases
Enhanced about_DNSServer.DebugLogParser help file to reflect current functionality
Enhanced verbose logging to provide more detailed progress information during processing