Updated

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/AdvancedFilterFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that filters log events based on custom predicates before passing to an inner flow.
+    /// Useful for applying complex filtering logic beyond simple log level filtering.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class AdvancedFilterFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        private readonly IFlow _innerFlow;
+        private readonly List<Predicate<LogEvent>> _filters;
+
+        public AdvancedFilterFlow(
+            IFlow innerFlow,
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+            : base(innerFlow?.Name + "_Filter" ?? "AdvancedFilterFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _innerFlow = innerFlow ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(innerFlow));
+            _filters = new List<Predicate<LogEvent>>();
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a filter predicate. All predicates must return true for the log event to pass through.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void AddFilter(Predicate<LogEvent> filter)
+        {
+            if (filter == null)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(filter));
+            }
+
+            lock (_filters)
+            {
+                _filters.Add(filter);
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a filter that matches messages containing specific text (case-insensitive).
+        /// </summary>
+        public void AddMessageContainsFilter(string text)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(text))
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(text));
+            }
+
+            var lowerText = text.ToLowerInvariant();
+            AddFilter(logEvent => logEvent.Message.ToString().ToLowerInvariant().Contains(lowerText));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a filter that matches specific log categories.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void AddCategoryFilter(params string[] categories)
+        {
+            if (categories == null || categories.Length == 0)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentException("At least one category must be specified", nameof(categories));
+            }
+
+            var categorySet = new HashSet<string>(categories, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            AddFilter(logEvent => categorySet.Contains(logEvent.Category));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a filter that excludes specific log categories.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void AddExcludeCategoryFilter(params string[] categories)
+        {
+            if (categories == null || categories.Length == 0)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentException("At least one category must be specified", nameof(categories));
+            }
+
+            var categorySet = new HashSet<string>(categories, StringComparer.OrdinalIgnoreCase);
+            AddFilter(logEvent => !categorySet.Contains(logEvent.Category));
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a filter for exceptions.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void AddExceptionFilter(bool onlyWithExceptions = true)
+        {
+            AddFilter(logEvent => onlyWithExceptions ? logEvent.Exception != null : logEvent.Exception == null);
+        }
+
+        private bool PassesAllFilters(LogEvent logEvent)
+        {
+            lock (_filters)
+            {
+                foreach (var filter in _filters)
+                {
+                    if (!filter(logEvent))
+                    {
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            if (!PassesAllFilters(logEvent))
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+
+            var result = await _innerFlow.BlastAsync(logEvent, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            if (result == WriteResult.Success)
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+            }
+
+            return result;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            var filteredEvents = new List<LogEvent>();
+            foreach (var logEvent in logEvents.Span)
+            {
+                if (IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent) && PassesAllFilters(logEvent))
+                {
+                    filteredEvents.Add(logEvent);
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (filteredEvents.Count > 0)
+            {
+                return await _innerFlow.BlastBatchAsync(filteredEvents.ToArray(), cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+
+            return WriteResult.Success;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            await _innerFlow.FlushAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+
+        public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            await _innerFlow.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await base.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/AggregationFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that aggregates log events and periodically emits summary logs.
+    /// Groups logs by category or level and provides statistics.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class AggregationFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        private readonly IFlow _innerFlow;
+        private readonly TimeSpan _aggregationInterval;
+        private readonly Dictionary<string, AggregationStats> _stats;
+        private readonly Timer _flushTimer;
+        private readonly object _statsLock = new();
+        private bool _disposed;
+
+        public AggregationFlow(
+            IFlow innerFlow,
+            int aggregationIntervalMs = 60000,
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+            : base(innerFlow?.Name + "_Aggregated" ?? "AggregationFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _innerFlow = innerFlow ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(innerFlow));
+            _aggregationInterval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(aggregationIntervalMs > 0 ? aggregationIntervalMs : 60000);
+            _stats = new Dictionary<string, AggregationStats>();
+            _flushTimer = new Timer(FlushAggregationCallback, null, _aggregationInterval, _aggregationInterval);
+        }
+
+        private class AggregationStats
+        {
+            public int Count { get; set; }
+            public int ErrorCount { get; set; }
+            public int WarningCount { get; set; }
+            public DateTime FirstOccurrence { get; set; }
+            public DateTime LastOccurrence { get; set; }
+            public HashSet<string> Messages { get; } = new HashSet<string>();
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            lock (_statsLock)
+            {
+                var key = $"{logEvent.Category}_{logEvent.Level}";
+
+                if (!_stats.TryGetValue(key, out var stats))
+                {
+                    stats = new AggregationStats { FirstOccurrence = DateTime.UtcNow };
+                    _stats[key] = stats;
+                }
+
+                stats.Count++;
+                stats.LastOccurrence = DateTime.UtcNow;
+
+                if (logEvent.Level >= LogLevel.Error)
+                {
+                    stats.ErrorCount++;
+                }
+                else if (logEvent.Level == LogLevel.Warning)
+                {
+                    stats.WarningCount++;
+                }
+
+                var messageStr = logEvent.Message.ToString();
+                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(messageStr) && stats.Messages.Count < 10)
+                {
+                    stats.Messages.Add(messageStr);
+                }
+            }
+
+            Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+            return WriteResult.Success;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            var eventsArray = logEvents.ToArray();
+            foreach (var logEvent in eventsArray)
+            {
+                if (IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+                {
+                    await BlastAsync(logEvent, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+            }
+
+            return WriteResult.Success;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            await EmitAggregationSummaryAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+
+        private async void FlushAggregationCallback(object? state)
+        {
+            if (!_disposed)
+            {
+                await EmitAggregationSummaryAsync(CancellationToken.None).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+        }
+
+        private async Task EmitAggregationSummaryAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        {
+            Dictionary<string, AggregationStats> currentStats;
+            lock (_statsLock)
+            {
+                if (_stats.Count == 0)
+                {
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                currentStats = new Dictionary<string, AggregationStats>(_stats);
+                _stats.Clear();
+            }
+
+            var summaryMessages = new List<string>();
+            summaryMessages.Add($"=== Log Aggregation Summary (Period: {_aggregationInterval.TotalSeconds:F0}s) ===");
+
+            foreach (var kvp in currentStats.OrderBy(x => x.Key))
+            {
+                var key = kvp.Key;
+                var stats = kvp.Value;
+                var duration = (stats.LastOccurrence - stats.FirstOccurrence).TotalSeconds;
+
+                summaryMessages.Add(
+                    $"Category-Level: {key} | Count: {stats.Count} | " +
+                    $"Errors: {stats.ErrorCount} | Warnings: {stats.WarningCount} | " +
+                    $"Duration: {duration:F2}s");
+
+                if (stats.Messages.Count > 0)
+                {
+                    summaryMessages.Add($"  Sample messages: {string.Join("; ", stats.Messages.Take(3))}");
+                }
+            }
+
+            var summaryMessage = string.Join(Environment.NewLine, summaryMessages);
+
+            var summaryEvent = new LogEvent
+            {
+                Message = summaryMessage.AsMemory(),
+                Category = "AggregationFlow",
+                Level = LogLevel.Information,
+                Timestamp = LogEvent.CreateTimestamp(DateTime.UtcNow),
+                Exception = null,
+                Properties = new Dictionary<string, object>
+                {
+                    { "AggregationType", "Summary" },
+                    { "StatsCount", currentStats.Count }
+                }
+            };
+
+            try
+            {
+                await _innerFlow.BlastAsync(summaryEvent, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"AggregationFlow summary emit error: {ex.Message}");
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            _disposed = true;
+            _flushTimer?.Dispose();
+            await EmitAggregationSummaryAsync(default).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await _innerFlow.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await base.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/BufferedFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that buffers log events and flushes them on a schedule or when a size threshold is reached.
+    /// Useful for improving performance by batching writes to an underlying flow.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class BufferedFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        private readonly IFlow _innerFlow;
+        private readonly int _bufferSize;
+        private readonly TimeSpan _flushInterval;
+        private readonly List<LogEvent> _buffer;
+        private readonly SemaphoreSlim _semaphore;
+        private readonly Timer _flushTimer;
+        private readonly object _bufferLock = new();
+        private bool _disposed;
+
+        public BufferedFlow(
+            IFlow innerFlow,
+            int bufferSize = 1000,
+            int flushIntervalMs = 5000,
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+            : base(innerFlow?.Name + "_Buffered" ?? "BufferedFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _innerFlow = innerFlow ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(innerFlow));
+            _bufferSize = bufferSize > 0 ? bufferSize : throw new ArgumentException("Buffer size must be greater than 0", nameof(bufferSize));
+            _flushInterval = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(flushIntervalMs > 0 ? flushIntervalMs : 5000);
+            _buffer = new List<LogEvent>(_bufferSize);
+            _semaphore = new SemaphoreSlim(1, 1);
+            _flushTimer = new Timer(FlushTimerCallback, null, _flushInterval, _flushInterval);
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            await _semaphore.WaitAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            try
+            {
+                lock (_bufferLock)
+                {
+                    _buffer.Add(logEvent);
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+
+                    if (_buffer.Count >= _bufferSize)
+                    {
+                        // Return a fire-and-forget task to flush
+                        _ = FlushInternalAsync(cancellationToken);
+                    }
+                }
+
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                _semaphore.Release();
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            await _semaphore.WaitAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            try
+            {
+                lock (_bufferLock)
+                {
+                    foreach (var logEvent in logEvents.Span)
+                    {
+                        if (IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+                        {
+                            _buffer.Add(logEvent);
+                            Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    if (_buffer.Count >= _bufferSize)
+                    {
+                        _ = FlushInternalAsync(cancellationToken);
+                    }
+                }
+
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                _semaphore.Release();
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            await FlushInternalAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+
+        private async Task FlushInternalAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        {
+            List<LogEvent> eventsToFlush;
+            lock (_bufferLock)
+            {
+                if (_buffer.Count == 0)
+                {
+                    return;
+                }
+
+                eventsToFlush = new List<LogEvent>(_buffer);
+                _buffer.Clear();
+            }
+
+            if (eventsToFlush.Count > 0)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    await _innerFlow.BlastBatchAsync(eventsToFlush.ToArray(), cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    Interlocked.Add(ref DroppedCount, eventsToFlush.Count);
+                    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"BufferedFlow flush error: {ex.Message}");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void FlushTimerCallback(object? state)
+        {
+            if (!_disposed)
+            {
+                _ = FlushInternalAsync(CancellationToken.None);
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            _disposed = true;
+            _flushTimer?.Dispose();
+            await FlushAsync(default).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            _semaphore?.Dispose();
+            await _innerFlow.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await base.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/DuplicateDetectionFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that detects and suppresses duplicate log events.
+    /// Uses content-based hashing to identify duplicates within a rolling time window.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class DuplicateDetectionFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        private readonly IFlow _innerFlow;
+        private readonly int _windowSizeMs;
+        private readonly Dictionary<int, DuplicateEntry> _seenHashes;
+        private readonly Timer _pruneTimer;
+        private readonly object _hashLock = new();
+        private bool _disposed;
+
+        private class DuplicateEntry
+        {
+            public DateTime FirstSeen { get; set; }
+            public int Count { get; set; }
+        }
+
+        public DuplicateDetectionFlow(
+            IFlow innerFlow,
+            int windowSizeMs = 300000,
+            int pruneIntervalMs = 60000,
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+            : base(innerFlow?.Name + "_DuplicateDetection" ?? "DuplicateDetectionFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _innerFlow = innerFlow ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(innerFlow));
+            _windowSizeMs = windowSizeMs > 0 ? windowSizeMs : 300000;
+            _seenHashes = new Dictionary<int, DuplicateEntry>();
+            _pruneTimer = new Timer(PruneOldEntriesCallback, null, pruneIntervalMs > 0 ? pruneIntervalMs : 60000, pruneIntervalMs > 0 ? pruneIntervalMs : 60000);
+        }
+
+        private int ComputeHash(LogEvent logEvent)
+        {
+            unchecked
+            {
+                int hash = 17;
+                hash = hash * 31 + logEvent.Message.ToString().GetHashCode();
+                hash = hash * 31 + (logEvent.Category?.GetHashCode() ?? 0);
+                hash = hash * 31 + logEvent.Level.GetHashCode();
+                hash = hash * 31 + (logEvent.Exception?.GetType().Name.GetHashCode() ?? 0);
+                return hash;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private bool IsDuplicate(LogEvent logEvent, out bool isNewException)
+        {
+            isNewException = false;
+            var hash = ComputeHash(logEvent);
+
+            lock (_hashLock)
+            {
+                var now = DateTime.UtcNow;
+
+                if (_seenHashes.TryGetValue(hash, out var entry))
+                {
+                    var age = (now - entry.FirstSeen).TotalMilliseconds;
+                    if (age < _windowSizeMs)
+                    {
+                        entry.Count++;
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        _seenHashes[hash] = new DuplicateEntry { FirstSeen = now, Count = 1 };
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    _seenHashes[hash] = new DuplicateEntry { FirstSeen = now, Count = 1 };
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void PruneOldEntriesCallback(object? state)
+        {
+            if (!_disposed)
+            {
+                lock (_hashLock)
+                {
+                    var now = DateTime.UtcNow;
+                    var keysToRemove = new List<int>();
+
+                    foreach (var kvp in _seenHashes)
+                    {
+                        var age = (now - kvp.Value.FirstSeen).TotalMilliseconds;
+                        if (age >= _windowSizeMs)
+                        {
+                            keysToRemove.Add(kvp.Key);
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    foreach (var key in keysToRemove)
+                    {
+                        _seenHashes.Remove(key);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            if (IsDuplicate(logEvent, out _))
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+
+            var result = await _innerFlow.BlastAsync(logEvent, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            if (result == WriteResult.Success)
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+            }
+
+            return result;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            var uniqueEvents = new List<LogEvent>();
+            foreach (var logEvent in logEvents.Span)
+            {
+                if (IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent) && !IsDuplicate(logEvent, out _))
+                {
+                    uniqueEvents.Add(logEvent);
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (uniqueEvents.Count > 0)
+            {
+                return await _innerFlow.BlastBatchAsync(uniqueEvents.ToArray(), cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+
+            return WriteResult.Success;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            await _innerFlow.FlushAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+
+        public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            _disposed = true;
+            _pruneTimer?.Dispose();
+            await _innerFlow.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await base.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/FileFlow.cs

@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
         private readonly BlockingCollection<LogEvent> _queue;
         private readonly ConcurrentQueue<string> _compressionQueue = new ConcurrentQueue<string>();
         private readonly CancellationTokenSource _cts = new CancellationTokenSource();
+        private volatile bool _isDisposing; // Track disposal state to prevent accessing disposed objects
         private readonly Thread _writerThread;
         private readonly Thread _compressionThread;
         private readonly Task _flushTask;
@@ -217,25 +218,36 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
             // Fall back to a per-user temp directory.
             try
             {
-                Directory.CreateDirectory(_directory);
+                // Use DirectoryPermissionHelper to ensure directory with proper permissions
+                if (!Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.EnsureDirectoryHierarchy(_directory))
+                {
+                    throw new UnauthorizedAccessException($"Cannot write to directory: {Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.GetAccessIssueDiagnosis(_directory)}");
                 }
-            catch
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
             {
                 try
                 {
                     var processId = Process.GetCurrentProcess().Id;
                     var newDirectory = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), "EonaCat.LogStack", processId.ToString());
-                    Directory.CreateDirectory(newDirectory);
+
-                    OnDirectoryException?.Invoke(this, $"FileFlow: Could not create directory: '{_directory}', using directory '{newDirectory}' instead");
+                    if (Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.EnsureDirectoryHierarchy(newDirectory))
+                    {
+                        OnDirectoryException?.Invoke(this, $"FileFlow: Could not create directory: '{_directory}' ({ex.Message}), using directory '{newDirectory}' instead");
                         _directory = newDirectory;
                     }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        throw new InvalidOperationException($"Failed to create fallback directory: {newDirectory}");
+                    }
+                }
                 catch
                 {
                     var newDirectory = Path.GetTempPath();
-                    OnDirectoryException?.Invoke(this, $"FileFlow: Could not create directory: '{_directory}', using directory '{newDirectory}' instead");
+                    OnDirectoryException?.Invoke(this, $"FileFlow: Could not create any writable directory, falling back to temp: '{newDirectory}'. Original error: {ex.Message}");
                     _directory = newDirectory;
 
-                    // Last resort: disable file output by pointing to a safe-ish temp path.
+                    // Last resort: disable file output by pointing to temp path.
                     // The writer thread still runs and swallows failures.
                 }
             }
@@ -815,13 +827,15 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
             }
 
             IsEnabled = false;
+            _isDisposing = true; // Signal all threads that disposal is in progress
 
             _queue.CompleteAdding();
             _cts.Cancel();
 
-            _writerThread.Join(2000);
+            // Give threads more time to gracefully exit (increased from 2000ms to 5000ms)
+            _writerThread.Join(5000);
             _compressionSignal.Release();
-            _compressionThread.Join(2000);
+            _compressionThread.Join(5000);
 
             lock (_fileLock)
             {
@@ -842,7 +856,16 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                 _openFiles.Clear();
             }
 
+            // Only dispose the CTS after all threads have been signaled and given time to exit
+            try
+            {
                 _cts.Dispose();
+            }
+            catch (ObjectDisposedException)
+            {
+                // Already disposed, ignore
+            }
+
             _compressionSignal.Dispose();
             _queue.Dispose();
 
@@ -857,8 +880,18 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                     LogEvent e;
                     try
                     {
+                        // Check if CTS is disposed before using it
+                        if (_isDisposing)
+                        {
+                            break;
+                        }
                         e = _queue.Take(_cts.Token);
                     }
+                    catch (ObjectDisposedException)
+                    {
+                        // CancellationTokenSource was disposed; gracefully exit
+                        break;
+                    }
                     catch (OperationCanceledException) { break; }
                     catch (InvalidOperationException) { break; }
 
@@ -1013,7 +1046,16 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                         Interlocked.Exchange(ref _lastErrorTimestamp, DateTime.UtcNow.Ticks);
                         try
                         {
-                            WriteToConsoleError("[FileFlow] Write error for '" + path + "': " + ex.Message);
+                            var diagnosis = "";
+                            if (ex is UnauthorizedAccessException || ex is System.IO.IOException)
+                            {
+                                var dir = Path.GetDirectoryName(path);
+                                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(dir))
+                                {
+                                    diagnosis = " | " + Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.GetAccessIssueDiagnosis(dir);
+                                }
+                            }
+                            WriteToConsoleError("[FileFlow] Write error for '" + path + "': " + ex.Message + diagnosis);
                         }
                         catch { /* Do nothing */ }
                     }
@@ -1511,7 +1553,11 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                     string dir = Path.GetDirectoryName(path);
                     if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(dir) && !Directory.Exists(dir))
                     {
-                        Directory.CreateDirectory(dir);
+                        // Use DirectoryPermissionHelper to ensure directory with permissions
+                        if (!Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.EnsureDirectoryHierarchy(dir))
+                        {
+                            throw new UnauthorizedAccessException($"Cannot create directory: {Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.GetAccessIssueDiagnosis(dir)}");
+                        }
                     }
 
                     fs = new FileStream(
@@ -1584,7 +1630,16 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                         _openFiles.Remove(path);
                     }
 
-                    WriteToConsoleError("[FileFlow] Failed to open '" + path + "': " + ex.Message);
+                    var diagnosis = "";
+                    if (ex is UnauthorizedAccessException || ex is System.IO.IOException)
+                    {
+                        var dir = Path.GetDirectoryName(path);
+                        if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(dir))
+                        {
+                            diagnosis = " Diagnosis: " + Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.GetAccessIssueDiagnosis(dir);
+                        }
+                    }
+                    WriteToConsoleError("[FileFlow] Failed to open '" + path + "': " + ex.Message + diagnosis);
                 }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
@@ -1710,8 +1765,21 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
             {
                 try
                 {
+                    // Check for disposal before attempting to use the token
+                    if (_isDisposing)
+                    {
+                        DrainCompressionQueue();
+                        return;
+                    }
+
                     _compressionSignal.Wait(_cts.Token);
                 }
+                catch (ObjectDisposedException)
+                {
+                    // Handle the case where CTS is disposed while waiting
+                    DrainCompressionQueue();
+                    return;
+                }
                 catch (OperationCanceledException)
                 {
                     DrainCompressionQueue();
@@ -1802,7 +1870,9 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
 
         private void PeriodicFlushLoop()
         {
-            while (!_cts.Token.IsCancellationRequested)
+            try
+            {
+                while (!_isDisposing && !_cts.Token.IsCancellationRequested)
                 {
                     try
                     {
@@ -1811,6 +1881,12 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                             ? 250
                             : (int)_flushInterval.TotalMilliseconds;
 
+                        // Take precaution before using token
+                        if (_isDisposing)
+                        {
+                            break;
+                        }
+
                         if (_cts.Token.WaitHandle.WaitOne(delay))
                         {
                             break;
@@ -1824,6 +1900,11 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                             }
                         }
                     }
+                    catch (ObjectDisposedException)
+                    {
+                        // Token source was disposed; exit gracefully
+                        break;
+                    }
                     catch (ThreadInterruptedException) { break; }
                     catch (Exception ex)
                     {
@@ -1831,11 +1912,26 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
                     }
                 }
             }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                WriteToConsoleError("[FileFlow] PeriodicFlushLoop error: " + ex.Message);
+            }
+        }
 
         private void RetentionLoop()
         {
-            while (!_cts.Token.IsCancellationRequested)
+            try
             {
+                while (!_isDisposing && !_cts.Token.IsCancellationRequested)
+                {
+                    try
+                    {
+                        // Check disposal state before accessing token
+                        if (_isDisposing)
+                        {
+                            break;
+                        }
+
                         if (_cts.Token.WaitHandle.WaitOne(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(15)))
                         {
                             break;
@@ -1843,6 +1939,17 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
 
                         ApplyRetention();
                     }
+                    catch (ObjectDisposedException)
+                    {
+                        // Token source was disposed; exit gracefully
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                WriteToConsoleError("[FileFlow] RetentionLoop error: " + ex.Message);
+            }
         }
 
         private void ApplyRetention()

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/MetricsAggregatorFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,229 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Diagnostics;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that collects performance metrics about log processing.
+    /// Tracks throughput, latency, and other performance indicators.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class MetricsAggregatorFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        private readonly object _metricsLock = new();
+        private long _totalEventsProcessed;
+        private long _totalEventsDropped;
+        private long _totalLatencyMs;
+        private long _minLatencyMs = long.MaxValue;
+        private long _maxLatencyMs = 0;
+        private DateTime _metricsStartTime;
+        private readonly Queue<long> _recentLatencies;
+        private readonly int _maxRecentLatencies;
+
+        public MetricsAggregatorFlow(
+            int maxRecentLatencies = 100,
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+            : base("MetricsAggregatorFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _maxRecentLatencies = maxRecentLatencies > 0 ? maxRecentLatencies : 100;
+            _recentLatencies = new Queue<long>(_maxRecentLatencies);
+            _metricsStartTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            var sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+            try
+            {
+                sw.Stop();
+                RecordMetric(success: true, latencyMs: sw.ElapsedMilliseconds);
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+            catch (Exception)
+            {
+                sw.Stop();
+                RecordMetric(success: false, latencyMs: sw.ElapsedMilliseconds);
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                return WriteResult.Failed;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            var sw = Stopwatch.StartNew();
+            try
+            {
+                int processedCount = 0;
+                foreach (var logEvent in logEvents.Span)
+                {
+                    if (IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+                    {
+                        processedCount++;
+                    }
+                }
+
+                sw.Stop();
+                RecordMetric(success: true, latencyMs: sw.ElapsedMilliseconds);
+                Interlocked.Add(ref BlastedCount, processedCount);
+                Interlocked.Add(ref DroppedCount, logEvents.Length - processedCount);
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+            catch (Exception)
+            {
+                sw.Stop();
+                RecordMetric(success: false, latencyMs: sw.ElapsedMilliseconds);
+                Interlocked.Add(ref DroppedCount, logEvents.Length);
+                return WriteResult.Failed;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void RecordMetric(bool success, long latencyMs)
+        {
+            lock (_metricsLock)
+            {
+                if (success)
+                {
+                    _totalEventsProcessed++;
+                    _totalLatencyMs += latencyMs;
+                    _minLatencyMs = Math.Min(_minLatencyMs, latencyMs);
+                    _maxLatencyMs = Math.Max(_maxLatencyMs, latencyMs);
+
+                    if (_recentLatencies.Count >= _maxRecentLatencies)
+                    {
+                        _recentLatencies.Dequeue();
+                    }
+                    _recentLatencies.Enqueue(latencyMs);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    _totalEventsDropped++;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets current performance metrics snapshot.
+        /// </summary>
+        public MetricsSnapshot GetMetricsSnapshot()
+        {
+            lock (_metricsLock)
+            {
+                var totalProcessed = _totalEventsProcessed;
+                var totalDropped = _totalEventsDropped;
+                var totalLatency = _totalLatencyMs;
+                var minLatency = _minLatencyMs == long.MaxValue ? 0 : _minLatencyMs;
+                var maxLatency = _maxLatencyMs;
+                var recentLatencies = _recentLatencies.ToArray();
+
+                var avgLatency = totalProcessed > 0 ? totalLatency / totalProcessed : 0;
+                var medianLatency = recentLatencies.Length > 0 
+                    ? recentLatencies[recentLatencies.Length / 2] 
+                    : 0;
+
+                var elapsed = DateTime.UtcNow - _metricsStartTime;
+                var eventsPerSecond = elapsed.TotalSeconds > 0 
+                    ? totalProcessed / elapsed.TotalSeconds 
+                    : 0;
+
+                return new MetricsSnapshot
+                {
+                    TotalProcessed = totalProcessed,
+                    TotalDropped = totalDropped,
+                    AverageLatencyMs = avgLatency,
+                    MinLatencyMs = minLatency,
+                    MaxLatencyMs = maxLatency,
+                    MedianLatencyMs = medianLatency,
+                    EventsPerSecond = eventsPerSecond,
+                    ElapsedTime = elapsed,
+                    CollectedAt = DateTime.UtcNow
+                };
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Resets metrics counters.
+        /// </summary>
+        public void ResetMetrics()
+        {
+            lock (_metricsLock)
+            {
+                _totalEventsProcessed = 0;
+                _totalEventsDropped = 0;
+                _totalLatencyMs = 0;
+                _minLatencyMs = long.MaxValue;
+                _maxLatencyMs = 0;
+                _recentLatencies.Clear();
+                _metricsStartTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            // Metrics flow doesn't buffer events, nothing to flush
+            return;
+        }
+
+        public override ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            return base.DisposeAsync();
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A snapshot of performance metrics at a point in time.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class MetricsSnapshot
+    {
+        /// <summary>Total number of log events processed</summary>
+        public long TotalProcessed { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>Total number of log events dropped</summary>
+        public long TotalDropped { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>Average latency in milliseconds</summary>
+        public long AverageLatencyMs { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>Minimum latency in milliseconds</summary>
+        public long MinLatencyMs { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>Maximum latency in milliseconds</summary>
+        public long MaxLatencyMs { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>Median latency in milliseconds</summary>
+        public long MedianLatencyMs { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>Number of events processed per second</summary>
+        public double EventsPerSecond { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>Total elapsed time since metrics started</summary>
+        public TimeSpan ElapsedTime { get; set; }
+
+        /// <summary>When this snapshot was collected</summary>
+        public DateTime CollectedAt { get; set; }
+
+        public override string ToString()
+        {
+            return $"Metrics[Processed={TotalProcessed}, Dropped={TotalDropped}, " +
+                   $"AvgLat={AverageLatencyMs}ms, MinLat={MinLatencyMs}ms, MaxLat={MaxLatencyMs}ms, " +
+                   $"Median={MedianLatencyMs}ms, Rate={EventsPerSecond:F2} eps, Elapsed={ElapsedTime.TotalSeconds:F2}s]";
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/PipelineFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,253 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that chains multiple flows together, passing log events through them in sequence.
+    /// Useful for composing complex logging behavior from simple components.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class PipelineFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        private readonly List<IFlow> _flows;
+        private readonly StopOnError _stopOnError;
+
+        public enum StopOnError
+        {
+            /// <summary>Continue to next flow even if current flow fails</summary>
+            Continue = 0,
+
+            /// <summary>Stop pipeline if any flow fails</summary>
+            StopImmediate = 1,
+
+            /// <summary>Stop pipeline if core flows fail, continue for non-critical flows</summary>
+            StopOnCritical = 2
+        }
+
+        public PipelineFlow(
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace,
+            StopOnError stopOnError = StopOnError.Continue)
+            : base("PipelineFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _flows = new List<IFlow>();
+            _stopOnError = stopOnError;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds a flow to the pipeline. Flows are executed in the order they are added.
+        /// </summary>
+        public PipelineFlow AddFlow(IFlow flow)
+        {
+            if (flow == null)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(flow));
+            }
+
+            lock (_flows)
+            {
+                _flows.Add(flow);
+            }
+
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Adds multiple flows to the pipeline.
+        /// </summary>
+        public PipelineFlow AddFlows(params IFlow[] flows)
+        {
+            if (flows == null)
+            {
+                throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(flows));
+            }
+
+            foreach (var flow in flows)
+            {
+                AddFlow(flow);
+            }
+
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            List<IFlow> flowsToExecute;
+            lock (_flows)
+            {
+                flowsToExecute = new List<IFlow>(_flows);
+            }
+
+            if (flowsToExecute.Count == 0)
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+
+            var overallResult = WriteResult.Success;
+
+            foreach (var flow in flowsToExecute)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    if (flow.IsEnabled && logEvent.Level >= flow.MinimumLevel)
+                    {
+                        var result = await flow.BlastAsync(logEvent, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+                        if (result != WriteResult.Success)
+                        {
+                            overallResult = result;
+
+                            if (_stopOnError == StopOnError.StopImmediate)
+                            {
+                                break;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"PipelineFlow error in {flow.Name}: {ex.Message}");
+                    overallResult = WriteResult.Failed;
+
+                    if (_stopOnError == StopOnError.StopImmediate)
+                    {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (overallResult == WriteResult.Success)
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+            }
+
+            return overallResult;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            List<IFlow> flowsToExecute;
+            lock (_flows)
+            {
+                flowsToExecute = new List<IFlow>(_flows);
+            }
+
+            if (flowsToExecute.Count == 0)
+            {
+                Interlocked.Add(ref DroppedCount, logEvents.Length);
+                return WriteResult.Success;
+            }
+
+            var overallResult = WriteResult.Success;
+            var logsProcessed = 0;
+
+            foreach (var flow in flowsToExecute)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    if (flow.IsEnabled)
+                    {
+                        var result = await flow.BlastBatchAsync(logEvents, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+
+                        if (result != WriteResult.Success)
+                        {
+                            overallResult = result;
+
+                            if (_stopOnError == StopOnError.StopImmediate)
+                            {
+                                break;
+                            }
+                        }
+
+                        logsProcessed += logEvents.Length;
+                    }
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"PipelineFlow batch error in {flow.Name}: {ex.Message}");
+                    overallResult = WriteResult.Failed;
+
+                    if (_stopOnError == StopOnError.StopImmediate)
+                    {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (logsProcessed > 0)
+            {
+                Interlocked.Add(ref BlastedCount, logsProcessed);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                Interlocked.Add(ref DroppedCount, logEvents.Length);
+            }
+
+            return overallResult;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            List<IFlow> flowsToFlush;
+            lock (_flows)
+            {
+                flowsToFlush = new List<IFlow>(_flows);
+            }
+
+            foreach (var flow in flowsToFlush)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    await flow.FlushAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"PipelineFlow flush error in {flow.Name}: {ex.Message}");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            List<IFlow> flowsToDispose;
+            lock (_flows)
+            {
+                flowsToDispose = new List<IFlow>(_flows);
+            }
+
+            foreach (var flow in flowsToDispose)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    await flow.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"PipelineFlow dispose error in {flow.Name}: {ex.Message}");
+                }
+            }
+
+            await base.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/RotatingFileFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,247 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Text;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that writes logs to files with automatic date-based rotation.
+    /// Creates new log files daily, hourly, or at custom intervals without external dependencies.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class RotatingFileFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        public enum RotationFrequency
+        {
+            Hourly = 0,
+            Daily = 1,
+            Monthly = 2
+        }
+
+        private readonly string _baseDirectory;
+        private readonly string _fileNamePattern;
+        private readonly RotationFrequency _frequency;
+        private readonly Encoding _encoding;
+        private readonly object _fileLock = new();
+        private StreamWriter? _currentWriter;
+        private string _currentFileName = string.Empty;
+        private DateTime _lastRotationCheck = DateTime.MinValue;
+
+        public RotatingFileFlow(
+            string baseDirectory,
+            string fileNamePattern = "logs-{date}.txt",
+            RotationFrequency frequency = RotationFrequency.Daily,
+            Encoding? encoding = null,
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+            : base("RotatingFileFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _baseDirectory = baseDirectory ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(baseDirectory));
+            _fileNamePattern = fileNamePattern ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(fileNamePattern));
+            _frequency = frequency;
+            _encoding = encoding ?? Encoding.UTF8;
+
+            try
+            {
+                if (!Directory.Exists(_baseDirectory))
+                {
+                    Directory.CreateDirectory(_baseDirectory);
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"RotatingFileFlow directory creation error: {ex.Message}");
+            }
+        }
+
+        private string GetCurrentFileName()
+        {
+            var now = DateTime.Now;
+            string datePart = _frequency switch
+            {
+                RotationFrequency.Hourly => now.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd_HH"),
+                RotationFrequency.Monthly => now.ToString("yyyy-MM"),
+                RotationFrequency.Daily => now.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd"),
+                _ => now.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd")
+            };
+
+            var fileName = _fileNamePattern.Replace("{date}", datePart);
+            return Path.Combine(_baseDirectory, fileName);
+        }
+
+        private bool ShouldRotate()
+        {
+            var now = DateTime.Now;
+            var timeSinceLastCheck = now - _lastRotationCheck;
+
+            return _frequency switch
+            {
+                RotationFrequency.Hourly => timeSinceLastCheck.TotalHours >= 1,
+                RotationFrequency.Monthly => timeSinceLastCheck.TotalDays >= 30,
+                RotationFrequency.Daily => timeSinceLastCheck.TotalDays >= 1,
+                _ => false
+            };
+        }
+
+        private async Task EnsureWriterAsync()
+        {
+            var targetFileName = GetCurrentFileName();
+
+            if (_currentWriter != null && _currentFileName == targetFileName && !ShouldRotate())
+            {
+                return;
+            }
+
+            _lastRotationCheck = DateTime.Now;
+
+            try
+            {
+                _currentWriter?.Dispose();
+
+                _currentFileName = targetFileName;
+                var fileStream = new FileStream(
+                    _currentFileName,
+                    FileMode.Append,
+                    FileAccess.Write,
+                    FileShare.Read,
+                    4096,
+                    FileOptions.SequentialScan);
+
+                _currentWriter = new StreamWriter(fileStream, _encoding, 4096, false);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"RotatingFileFlow writer creation error: {ex.Message}");
+                throw;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            lock (_fileLock)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    EnsureWriterAsync().Wait(cancellationToken);
+
+                    if (_currentWriter == null)
+                    {
+                        Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                        return WriteResult.Failed;
+                    }
+
+                    var formattedMessage = FormatLogEvent(logEvent);
+                    _currentWriter.WriteLine(formattedMessage);
+                    _currentWriter.Flush();
+
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                    return WriteResult.Success;
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"RotatingFileFlow write error: {ex.Message}");
+                    return WriteResult.Failed;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            lock (_fileLock)
+            {
+                try
+                {
+                    EnsureWriterAsync().Wait(cancellationToken);
+
+                    if (_currentWriter == null)
+                    {
+                        Interlocked.Add(ref DroppedCount, logEvents.Length);
+                        return WriteResult.Failed;
+                    }
+
+                    foreach (var logEvent in logEvents.Span)
+                    {
+                        if (IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+                        {
+                            var formattedMessage = FormatLogEvent(logEvent);
+                            _currentWriter.WriteLine(formattedMessage);
+                            Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    _currentWriter.Flush();
+                    return WriteResult.Success;
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    Interlocked.Add(ref DroppedCount, logEvents.Length);
+                    System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"RotatingFileFlow batch write error: {ex.Message}");
+                    return WriteResult.Failed;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        private string FormatLogEvent(LogEvent logEvent)
+        {
+            var sb = new StringBuilder();
+            var dateTime = LogEvent.GetDateTime(logEvent.Timestamp);
+            sb.Append($"[{dateTime:yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.fff}] ");
+            sb.Append($"[{logEvent.Level}] ");
+            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(logEvent.Category))
+            {
+                sb.Append($"[{logEvent.Category}] ");
+            }
+            sb.Append(logEvent.Message);
+
+            if (logEvent.Exception != null)
+            {
+                sb.AppendLine();
+                sb.Append("Exception: ");
+                sb.Append(logEvent.Exception.GetType().Name);
+                sb.Append(": ");
+                sb.Append(logEvent.Exception.Message);
+            }
+
+            return sb.ToString();
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            lock (_fileLock)
+            {
+                _currentWriter?.Flush();
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            lock (_fileLock)
+            {
+                _currentWriter?.Flush();
+                _currentWriter?.Dispose();
+                _currentWriter = null;
+            }
+
+            await base.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/EonaCatLoggerCore/Flows/TransformFlow.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+using EonaCat.LogStack.Core;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Threading;
+using System.Threading.Tasks;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Flows
+{
+    // This file is part of the EonaCat project(s) which is released under the Apache License.
+    // See the LICENSE file or go to https://EonaCat.com/License for full license details.
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// A flow that transforms log events before passing them to an inner flow.
+    /// Allows modification of messages, properties, and other attributes.
+    /// </summary>
+    public sealed class TransformFlow : FlowBase
+    {
+        private readonly IFlow _innerFlow;
+        private readonly Func<LogEvent, LogEvent> _transformer;
+
+        public TransformFlow(
+            IFlow innerFlow,
+            Func<LogEvent, LogEvent> transformer,
+            LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+            : base(innerFlow?.Name + "_Transform" ?? "TransformFlow", minimumLevel)
+        {
+            _innerFlow = innerFlow ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(innerFlow));
+            _transformer = transformer ?? throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(transformer));
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastAsync(LogEvent logEvent, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled || !IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+            {
+                return WriteResult.LevelFiltered;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                var transformedEvent = _transformer(logEvent);
+                var result = await _innerFlow.BlastAsync(transformedEvent, cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                if (result == WriteResult.Success)
+                {
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                }
+
+                return result;
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"TransformFlow error: {ex.Message}");
+                return WriteResult.Failed;
+            }
+        }
+
+        public override async Task<WriteResult> BlastBatchAsync(ReadOnlyMemory<LogEvent> logEvents, CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            if (!IsEnabled)
+            {
+                return WriteResult.FlowDisabled;
+            }
+
+            var eventsArray = logEvents.ToArray();
+            var transformedEvents = new List<LogEvent>();
+            foreach (var logEvent in eventsArray)
+            {
+                if (IsLogLevelEnabled(logEvent))
+                {
+                    try
+                    {
+                        var transformed = _transformer(logEvent);
+                        transformedEvents.Add(transformed);
+                        Interlocked.Increment(ref BlastedCount);
+                    }
+                    catch (Exception ex)
+                    {
+                        Interlocked.Increment(ref DroppedCount);
+                        System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine($"TransformFlow batch error: {ex.Message}");
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if (transformedEvents.Count > 0)
+            {
+                return await _innerFlow.BlastBatchAsync(transformedEvents.ToArray(), cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+            }
+
+            return WriteResult.Success;
+        }
+
+        public override async Task FlushAsync(CancellationToken cancellationToken = default)
+        {
+            await _innerFlow.FlushAsync(cancellationToken).ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+
+        public override async ValueTask DisposeAsync()
+        {
+            await _innerFlow.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+            await base.DisposeAsync().ConfigureAwait(false);
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/Helpers/DirectoryPermissionHelper.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,221 @@
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
+
+namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Helpers
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Utility class for managing directory permissions and ensuring write access.
+    /// Handles both Windows and Unix-like systems gracefully.
+    /// </summary>
+    public static class DirectoryPermissionHelper
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Checks if the current process has write access to the specified directory.
+        /// Returns true if writable, false otherwise. Never throws.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool CanWrite(string dirPath)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(dirPath))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                if (!Directory.Exists(dirPath))
+                {
+                    // Check if we can create it
+                    var parentPath = Path.GetDirectoryName(dirPath);
+                    if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(parentPath) || parentPath == dirPath)
+                    {
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                    return CanWrite(parentPath);
+                }
+
+                // Try to create a temporary file to verify write access
+                var testFile = Path.Combine(dirPath, ".permission_test_" + Guid.NewGuid().ToString("."));
+                try
+                {
+                    using (var fs = File.Create(testFile, 1, FileOptions.DeleteOnClose))
+                    {
+                        fs.WriteByte(0);
+                    }
+                    return true;
+                }
+                catch
+                {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Attempts to create a directory and fix permissions if needed.
+        /// Never throws - logs errors and returns false if it cannot fix permissions.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool EnsureDirectory(string dirPath)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(dirPath))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                // Create directory if it doesn't exist
+                if (!Directory.Exists(dirPath))
+                {
+                    Directory.CreateDirectory(dirPath);
+                }
+
+                // Verify we have write access
+                if (CanWrite(dirPath))
+                {
+                    return true;
+                }
+
+                // Try to fix permissions (Windows-specific via attribute clearing)
+                if (RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform(OSPlatform.Windows))
+                {
+                    try
+                    {
+                        TryFixWindowsPermissions(dirPath);
+                        return CanWrite(dirPath);
+                    }
+                    catch
+                    {
+                        // Permission fixing failed, but that's okay - we tried
+                    }
+                }
+
+                // For Unix-like systems, we can't easily fix permissions without external tools
+                // Just return whether we can write
+                return CanWrite(dirPath);
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Attempts to ensure all parent directories have write access.
+        /// Creates missing directories.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool EnsureDirectoryHierarchy(string dirPath)
+        {
+            if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(dirPath))
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                var current = Path.GetDirectoryName(dirPath);
+                var stack = new System.Collections.Generic.Stack<string>();
+
+                // Build directory hierarchy
+                while (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(current) && current != Path.GetPathRoot(current))
+                {
+                    if (Directory.Exists(current))
+                    {
+                        break;
+                    }
+                    stack.Push(current);
+                    current = Path.GetDirectoryName(current);
+                }
+
+                // Create missing directories from root to target
+                while (stack.Count > 0)
+                {
+                    var dir = stack.Pop();
+                    if (!Directory.Exists(dir))
+                    {
+                        Directory.CreateDirectory(dir);
+                    }
+                }
+
+                // Ensure final target directory
+                return EnsureDirectory(dirPath);
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Attempts to grant write permissions on Windows by clearing the read-only attribute.
+        /// This is a best-effort operation and may fail on restricted systems.
+        /// </summary>
+        private static void TryFixWindowsPermissions(string dirPath)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var dirInfo = new DirectoryInfo(dirPath);
+
+                // Clear read-only attribute if set
+                if ((dirInfo.Attributes & FileAttributes.ReadOnly) != 0)
+                {
+                    dirInfo.Attributes &= ~FileAttributes.ReadOnly;
+                }
+
+                // Note: Full ACL manipulation would require System.Security.AccessControl
+                // which is a separate NuGet package. We're using the basic attribute approach
+                // which covers most common permission issues.
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                // Silently fail - we tried our best
+                throw;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Gets a safe description of why directory access failed.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static string GetAccessIssueDiagnosis(string dirPath)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(dirPath))
+                {
+                    return "Directory path is null or empty";
+                }
+
+                if (!Directory.Exists(dirPath))
+                {
+                    var parent = Path.GetDirectoryName(dirPath);
+                    if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(parent))
+                    {
+                        return $"Cannot determine parent directory: {dirPath}";
+                    }
+                    if (!Directory.Exists(parent))
+                    {
+                        return $"Parent directory does not exist: {parent}";
+                    }
+                    return $"Directory does not exist and parent is not writable: {dirPath}";
+                }
+
+                var dirInfo = new DirectoryInfo(dirPath);
+
+                if ((dirInfo.Attributes & FileAttributes.ReadOnly) != 0)
+                {
+                    return $"Directory is read-only: {dirPath}";
+                }
+
+                return $"Directory exists but no write permission: {dirPath}. Check file system permissions.";
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                return $"Error diagnosing directory: {ex.Message}";
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

EonaCat.LogStack/LogBuilder.cs

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ using System.Linq;
 using System.Net.Http;
 using System.Net.Security;
 using System.Security.Cryptography.X509Certificates;
+using System.Text;
 
 namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Configuration;
 
@@ -1274,6 +1275,121 @@ public sealed class LogBuilder
         return this;
     }
 
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Writes log events to files with automatic date-based rotation.
+    /// Creates new log files daily, hourly, or at custom intervals.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToRotatingFileFlow(
+        string baseDirectory,
+        string fileNamePattern = "logs-{date}.txt",
+        RotatingFileFlow.RotationFrequency frequency = RotatingFileFlow.RotationFrequency.Daily,
+        Encoding? encoding = null,
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new RotatingFileFlow(
+            baseDirectory,
+            fileNamePattern,
+            frequency,
+            encoding,
+            minimumLevel));
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Chains multiple flows together, passing log events through them in sequence.
+    /// Useful for composing complex logging behavior from simple components.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToPipelineFlow(
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace,
+        PipelineFlow.StopOnError stopOnError = PipelineFlow.StopOnError.Continue)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new PipelineFlow(minimumLevel, stopOnError));
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Adds a metrics aggregator flow that collects and reports logging metrics.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToMetricsAggregatorFlow(
+        int maxRecentLatencies = 100,
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new MetricsAggregatorFlow(maxRecentLatencies, minimumLevel));
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Adds duplicate detection to prevent repeated identical log messages within a time window.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToDuplicateDetectionFlow(
+        IFlow innerFlow,
+        int windowSizeMs = 300000,
+        int pruneIntervalMs = 60000,
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new DuplicateDetectionFlow(
+            innerFlow,
+            windowSizeMs,
+            pruneIntervalMs,
+            minimumLevel));
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Transforms log events using a custom function before forwarding to an inner flow.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToTransformFlow(
+        IFlow innerFlow,
+        Func<LogEvent, LogEvent> transformer,
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new TransformFlow(innerFlow, transformer, minimumLevel));
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Aggregates log events by category and reports statistics periodically.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToAggregationFlow(
+        IFlow innerFlow,
+        int aggregationIntervalMs = 60000,
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new AggregationFlow(
+            innerFlow,
+            aggregationIntervalMs,
+            minimumLevel));
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Adds advanced filtering capabilities using predicates to selectively process log events.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToAdvancedFilterFlow(
+        IFlow innerFlow,
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new AdvancedFilterFlow(innerFlow, minimumLevel));
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Buffers log events and flushes them in batches to reduce I/O operations.
+    /// </summary>
+    public LogBuilder WriteToBufferedFlow(
+        IFlow innerFlow,
+        int bufferSize = 1000,
+        int flushIntervalMs = 5000,
+        LogLevel minimumLevel = LogLevel.Trace)
+    {
+        _flows.Add(new BufferedFlow(
+            innerFlow,
+            bufferSize,
+            flushIntervalMs,
+            minimumLevel));
+        return this;
+    }
+
     /// <summary>
     /// Adds the <see cref="CallerInfoBooster"/> which captures caller member/file/line.
     /// </summary>

EonaCat.LogStack/Server.cs

@@ -147,6 +147,12 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Server
             _isRunning = true;
             Metrics.StartedAt = DateTime.UtcNow;
 
+            // Initialize log directory with permission checking
+            if (!InitializeLogDirectory())
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine("[EonaCat Server] WARNING: Could not initialize log directory. Logs will be dropped if write fails.");
+            }
+
             var bind = ipAddress ?? _options.BindAddress ?? IPAddress.Any;
             var tasks = new List<Task>();
 
@@ -184,6 +190,40 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Server
             await Task.WhenAll(tasks).ConfigureAwait(false);
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes the log directory during startup, ensuring write permissions.
+        /// Returns true if successful, false if there were issues (but doesn't prevent startup).
+        /// </summary>
+        private bool InitializeLogDirectory()
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var logDir = _options.LogsRootDirectory;
+
+                if (!Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.EnsureDirectoryHierarchy(logDir))
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] WARNING: Could not fully initialize log directory: {logDir}");
+                    Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] Diagnosis: {Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.GetAccessIssueDiagnosis(logDir)}");
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                if (!Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.CanWrite(logDir))
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] WARNING: Log directory exists but is not writable: {logDir}");
+                    Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] Please check file system permissions.");
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] Log directory ready: {Path.GetFullPath(logDir)}");
+                return true;
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] Error initializing log directory: {ex.GetType().Name}: {ex.Message}");
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
         /// <summary>Gracefully stop all transports.</summary>
         public void Stop()
         {
@@ -514,12 +554,43 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Server
         }
 
         protected virtual async Task ProcessLogAsync(string logData)
+        {
+            const int maxRetries = 3;
+            const int retryDelayMs = 100;
+
+            for (int attempt = 0; attempt < maxRetries; attempt++)
+            {
+                try
                 {
                     var root = _options.LogsRootDirectory;
-            Directory.CreateDirectory(root);
+
+                    // Ensure directory exists with permission handling
+                    if (!EnsureLogDirectory(root))
+                    {
+                        if (attempt < maxRetries - 1)
+                        {
+                            await Task.Delay(retryDelayMs).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        // Last attempt failed - log that we couldn't write
+                        Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] WARNING: Cannot write to log directory. Reason: {Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.GetAccessIssueDiagnosis(root)}");
+                        Interlocked.Increment(ref Metrics.TotalDropped);
+                        return;
+                    }
 
                     var daily = Path.Combine(root, DateTime.Now.ToString("yyyyMMdd"));
-            Directory.CreateDirectory(daily);
+
+                    if (!EnsureLogDirectory(daily))
+                    {
+                        if (attempt < maxRetries - 1)
+                        {
+                            await Task.Delay(retryDelayMs).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] WARNING: Cannot create daily log directory: {daily}");
+                        Interlocked.Increment(ref Metrics.TotalDropped);
+                        return;
+                    }
 
                     var basePath = Path.Combine(daily, "EonaCatLogs");
                     var filePath = basePath + ".log";
@@ -534,7 +605,51 @@ namespace EonaCat.LogStack.Server
                     Interlocked.Increment(ref Metrics.TotalWritten);
                     LogWritten?.Invoke(logData);
 
-            CleanUpOldLogs();
+                    // Cleanup happens asynchronously to avoid blocking
+                    _ = Task.Run(() => CleanUpOldLogs());
+                    return;
+                }
+                catch (UnauthorizedAccessException ex) when (attempt < maxRetries - 1)
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] Access denied to log directory (attempt {attempt + 1}/{maxRetries}): {ex.Message}");
+                    await Task.Delay(retryDelayMs * (attempt + 1)).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+                catch (IOException ex) when (attempt < maxRetries - 1)
+                {
+                    Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] IO error writing to log (attempt {attempt + 1}/{maxRetries}): {ex.Message}");
+                    await Task.Delay(retryDelayMs * (attempt + 1)).ConfigureAwait(false);
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    // Any other exception - log and drop the message to prevent crash
+                    Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] Error writing log: {ex.GetType().Name}: {ex.Message}");
+                    Interlocked.Increment(ref Metrics.TotalDropped);
+                    LogDropped?.Invoke(logData);
+                    return;
+                }
+            }
+
+            // All retries exhausted
+            Console.WriteLine("[EonaCat Server] Max retries exhausted, dropping log message");
+            Interlocked.Increment(ref Metrics.TotalDropped);
+            LogDropped?.Invoke(logData);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Ensures a log directory exists and is writable, with permission fixing if needed.
+        /// Returns true if successful, false otherwise.
+        /// </summary>
+        private bool EnsureLogDirectory(string dirPath)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                return Helpers.DirectoryPermissionHelper.EnsureDirectoryHierarchy(dirPath);
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                Console.WriteLine($"[EonaCat Server] Failed to ensure log directory: {ex.Message}");
+                return false;
+            }
         }
 
         private void CleanUpOldLogs()