NLog for ASP MVC not writing to the database

Question

I've tried to implement NLog in my application. However, for some reason nothing is being written to the database. I have tried to debug a simple info and noticed that I have this error :

-       DeclaringMethod '((System.RuntimeType)log._loggerType).DeclaringMethod' threw an exception of type 'System.InvalidOperationException'   System.Reflection.MethodBase {System.InvalidOperationException}

Not sure how this is relevant.

I have switched on internal debugging as well and have not received any noticeable errors. This is the internal debug log:

2018-07-23 00:25:37.1679 Trace   Scanning Property Layout ''${aspnet-request:serverVariable=REMOTE_ADDR}:${aspnet-request:serverVariable=REMOTE_PORT}'' NLog.Layouts
2018-07-23 00:25:37.1679 Trace   Scanning SimpleLayout ''${aspnet-request:serverVariable=REMOTE_ADDR}:${aspnet-request:serverVariable=REMOTE_PORT}''
2018-07-23 00:25:37.1868 Trace  Scanning DatabaseParameterInfo 'NLog.Targets.DatabaseParameterInfo'
2018-07-23 00:25:37.1868 Trace   Scanning Property Layout ''${logger}'' NLog.Layouts
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2058 Trace   Scanning SimpleLayout ''${logger}''
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2148 Trace  Scanning DatabaseParameterInfo 'NLog.Targets.DatabaseParameterInfo'
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2148 Trace   Scanning Property Layout ''${callsite}'' NLog.Layouts
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2367 Trace   Scanning SimpleLayout ''${callsite}''
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2457 Trace  Scanning DatabaseParameterInfo 'NLog.Targets.DatabaseParameterInfo'
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2457 Trace   Scanning Property Layout ''${exception:tostring}'' NLog.Layouts
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2687 Trace   Scanning SimpleLayout ''${exception:tostring}''
2018-07-23 00:25:37.2887 Trace Database Target[database] has 16 layouts
2018-07-23 00:25:37.3007 Trace FindReachableObject<System.Object>:
2018-07-23 00:25:37.3117 Trace Scanning SimpleLayout ''Data Source=.\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=aspnet-ManagementStudio-5cb5b1db-6c48-49c7-93b2-ba81ded39c1c;Integrated Security=SSPI;AttachDBFilename=|DataDirectory|\aspnet-ManagementStudio-5cb5b1db-6c48-49c7-93b2-ba81ded39c1c.mdf''
2018-07-23 00:25:37.3117 Trace  Scanning Property Renderers 'System.Collections.ObjectModel.ReadOnlyCollection`1[NLog.LayoutRenderers.LayoutRenderer]' System.Collections.ObjectModel
2018-07-23 00:25:37.3296 Trace  Scanning LiteralLayoutRenderer 'Layout Renderer: ${literal}'
2018-07-23 00:25:37.4832 Debug Watching path 'C:\Users\amosa\Source\Repos\ManagementStudio\ManagementStudio' filter 'NLog.config' for changes.
2018-07-23 00:25:37.4936 Info Configuration initialized.
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5095 Info NLog, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=5120e14c03d0593c. File version: 4.5.7.7958. Product version: 4.5.7.
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5095 Debug Targets for ManagementStudio.Controllers.UsersController by level:
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5304 Debug Trace =>
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5398 Debug Debug =>
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5398 Debug Info =>
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5598 Debug Warn =>
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5768 Debug Error =>
2018-07-23 00:25:37.5768 Debug Fatal =>

Here is my nlog.config file. I have created the database table based on what this config shows:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<nlog xmlns="http://www.nlog-project.org/schemas/NLog.xsd"
      xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
      xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.nlog-project.org/schemas/NLog.xsd NLog.xsd"
      autoReload="true"
      throwExceptions="false"
      internalLogLevel="Trace" internalLogFile="c:\temp\nlog-internal.log">

  <!-- optional, add some variables
  https://github.com/nlog/NLog/wiki/Configuration-file#variables
  -->
  <variable name="myvar" value="myvalue"/>

  <!--
  See https://github.com/nlog/nlog/wiki/Configuration-file
  for information on customizing logging rules and outputs.
   -->
  <targets>

    <!--
    add your targets here
    See https://github.com/nlog/NLog/wiki/Targets for possible targets.
    See https://github.com/nlog/NLog/wiki/Layout-Renderers for the possible layout renderers.
    -->

    <!--
    Write events to a file with the date in the filename.
    <target xsi:type="File" name="f" fileName="${basedir}/logs/${shortdate}.log"
            layout="${longdate} ${uppercase:${level}} ${message}" />
    -->
    <target name="database" xsi:type="Database">

      <connectionStringName>DefaultConnection</connectionStringName>


      <commandText>
        insert into dbo.AspNetEventLogs (
        Application, Logged, Level, Message,
        Username,
        ServerName, Port, Url, Https,
        ServerAddress, RemoteAddress,
        Logger, CallSite, Exception
        ) values (
        @Application, @Logged, @Level, @Message,
        @Username,
        @ServerName, @Port, @Url, @Https,
        @ServerAddress, @RemoteAddress,
        @Logger, @Callsite, @Exception
        );
      </commandText>

      <parameter name="@application" layout="${appsetting:name=appName}" />
      <parameter name="@logged" layout="${date}" />
      <parameter name="@level" layout="${level}" />
      <parameter name="@message" layout="${message}" />

      <parameter name="@username" layout="${identity}" />

      <parameter name="@serverName" layout="${aspnet-request:serverVariable=SERVER_NAME}" />
      <parameter name="@port" layout="${aspnet-request:serverVariable=SERVER_PORT}" />
      <parameter name="@url" layout="${aspnet-request:serverVariable=HTTP_URL}" />
      <parameter name="@https" layout="${when:inner=1:when='${aspnet-request:serverVariable=HTTPS}' == 'on'}${when:inner=0:when='${aspnet-request:serverVariable=HTTPS}' != 'on'}" />

      <parameter name="@serverAddress" layout="${aspnet-request:serverVariable=LOCAL_ADDR}" />
      <parameter name="@remoteAddress" layout="${aspnet-request:serverVariable=REMOTE_ADDR}:${aspnet-request:serverVariable=REMOTE_PORT}" />

      <parameter name="@logger" layout="${logger}" />
      <parameter name="@callSite" layout="${callsite}" />
      <parameter name="@exception" layout="${exception:tostring}" />
    </target>
  </targets>

  <rules>
    <logger name="database" minlevel="Debug" writeTo="database" />
    <!-- add your logging rules here -->

    <!--
    Write all events with minimal level of Debug (So Debug, Info, Warn, Error and Fatal, but not Trace)  to "f"
    <logger name="*" minlevel="Debug" writeTo="f" />
    -->
  </rules>
</nlog>

Answer 1

The name of the logger-rules is actually a wildcard for matching logger-names. Try changing to a star instead:

  <rules>
    <logger name="*" minlevel="Debug" writeTo="database" />
  <rules>

See also https://github.com/NLog/NLog/wiki/Configuration-file#rules