diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/driver/EventDriver.java b/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/driver/EventDriver.java
index 9facf0a..b6a32e3 100644
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/driver/EventDriver.java
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/driver/EventDriver.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
 public class EventDriver {
 
     public static final String CLIENT_NODE_ID = "client_node";
-    public static final Node CLIENT_NODE = new Node(CLIENT_NODE_ID, "127.0.0.1", null, null, null, null);
+    public static final Node CLIENT_NODE = new Node(CLIENT_NODE_ID, "127.0.0.1", null, null, null, null, null);
 
     private static String eventsDir;
     private static Events events;
diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventUtil.java b/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventUtil.java
index 81fabac..7cbb515 100644
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventUtil.java
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventUtil.java
@@ -191,12 +191,12 @@
         }
 
         if (nodeid.equals(cluster.getMasterNode().getId())) {
-            String logDir = cluster.getMasterNode().getLogdir() == null ? cluster.getLogdir() : cluster.getMasterNode()
-                    .getLogdir();
+            String logDir = cluster.getMasterNode().getLogDir() == null ? cluster.getLogDir() : cluster.getMasterNode()
+                    .getLogDir();
             String javaHome = cluster.getMasterNode().getJavaHome() == null ? cluster.getJavaHome() : cluster
                     .getMasterNode().getJavaHome();
             return new Node(cluster.getMasterNode().getId(), cluster.getMasterNode().getClusterIp(), javaHome, logDir,
-                    null, null);
+                    null, null, null);
         }
 
         List<Node> nodeList = cluster.getNode();
diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/backup/backup.sh b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/backup/backup.sh
index 556ca39..fc6e3cc 100755
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/backup/backup.sh
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/backup/backup.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ASTERIX_IODEVICES=$3
 NODE_STORE=$4
 ASTERIX_ROOT_METADATA_DIR=$5
-TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME=$6
+TXN_LOG_DIR=$6
 BACKUP_ID=$7
 BACKUP_DIR=$8
 BACKUP_TYPE=$9
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
   for nodeIODevice in $nodeIODevices
   do
     STORE_DIR=$nodeIODevice/$NODE_STORE
-    TXN_LOG_DIR=$nodeIODevice/$TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME
     NODE_BACKUP_DIR=$BACKUP_DIR/$ASTERIX_INSTANCE_NAME/$BACKUP_ID/$NODE_ID/
    
     # make the destination directory 
@@ -46,7 +45,6 @@
   for nodeIODevice in $nodeIODevices
   do
     STORE_DIR=$nodeIODevice/$NODE_STORE
-    TXN_LOG_DIR=$nodeIODevice/$TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME
     NODE_BACKUP_DIR=$BACKUP_DIR/$ASTERIX_INSTANCE_NAME/$BACKUP_ID/$NODE_ID
 
     # create the backup directory, if it does not exists
diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/restore/restore.sh b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/restore/restore.sh
index 6396eec..88c5a6f 100755
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/restore/restore.sh
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/restore/restore.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 ASTERIX_IODEVICES=$3
 NODE_STORE=$4
 ASTERIX_ROOT_METADATA_DIR=$5
-TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME=$6
+TXN_LOG_DIR=$6
 BACKUP_ID=$7
 BACKUP_DIR=$8
 BACKUP_TYPE=$9
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@
   rm -rf $DEST_STORE_DIR/$SOURCE_STORE_DIR
 
   # remove the existing log directory
-  DEST_LOG_DIR=$iodevice/$TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME/
-  rm -rf $DEST_LOG_DIR
+  DEST_LOG_DIR=$TXN_LOG_DIR
+  rm -rf $DEST_LOG_DIR/*
+  TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME=${TXN_LOG_DIR%/*}
 
   # remove the existing asterix metadata directory
   rm -rf $iodevice/$ASTERIX_ROOT_METADATA_DIR
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@
         $HADOOP_HOME/bin/hadoop fs -copyToLocal $HDFS_URL/$NODE_BACKUP_DIR/$ASTERIX_ROOT_METADATA_DIR $iodevice/
 
         # copy transaction logs directory
-        $HADOOP_HOME/bin/hadoop fs -copyToLocal $HDFS_URL/$NODE_BACKUP_DIR/$TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME $iodevice/
+        $HADOOP_HOME/bin/hadoop fs -copyToLocal $HDFS_URL/$NODE_BACKUP_DIR/$TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME $$TXN_LOG_DIR/
       fi
 
   else
@@ -67,7 +68,7 @@
         cp -r $NODE_BACKUP_DIR/$ASTERIX_ROOT_METADATA_DIR $iodevice/
 
         # copy transaction logs directory
-        cp -r $NODE_BACKUP_DIR/$TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME $iodevice/
+        cp -r $NODE_BACKUP_DIR/$TXN_LOG_DIR_NAME $TXN_LOG_DIR/
       fi
 
   fi
diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/schema/cluster.xsd b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/schema/cluster.xsd
index 4292418..718d7b0 100644
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/schema/cluster.xsd
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/schema/cluster.xsd
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 
 	<!-- definition of simple types -->
 	<xs:element name="name" type="xs:string" />
-	<xs:element name="logdir" type="xs:string" />
+	<xs:element name="log_dir" type="xs:string" />
+	<xs:element name="txn_log_dir" type="xs:string" />
 	<xs:element name="id" type="xs:string" />
-	<xs:element name="client-ip" type="xs:string" />
-	<xs:element name="cluster-ip" type="xs:string" />
+	<xs:element name="client_ip" type="xs:string" />
+	<xs:element name="cluster_ip" type="xs:string" />
 	<xs:element name="key" type="xs:string" />
 	<xs:element name="value" type="xs:string" />
 	<xs:element name="dir" type="xs:string" />
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
 	<xs:element name="username" type="xs:string" />
 
 	<!-- definition of complex elements -->
-	<xs:element name="workingDir">
+	<xs:element name="working_dir">
 		<xs:complexType>
 			<xs:sequence>
 				<xs:element ref="cl:dir" />
@@ -27,14 +28,14 @@
 		</xs:complexType>
 	</xs:element>
 
-	<xs:element name="master-node">
+	<xs:element name="master_node">
 		<xs:complexType>
 			<xs:sequence>
 				<xs:element ref="cl:id" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:client-ip" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:cluster-ip" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:client_ip" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:cluster_ip" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:java_home" minOccurs="0" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:logdir" minOccurs="0" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:log_dir" minOccurs="0" />
 			</xs:sequence>
 		</xs:complexType>
 	</xs:element>
@@ -60,9 +61,10 @@
 		<xs:complexType>
 			<xs:sequence>
 				<xs:element ref="cl:id" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:cluster-ip" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:cluster_ip" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:java_home" minOccurs="0" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:logdir" minOccurs="0" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:log_dir" minOccurs="0" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:txn_log_dir" minOccurs="0" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:store" minOccurs="0" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:iodevices" minOccurs="0" />
 			</xs:sequence>
@@ -76,11 +78,12 @@
 				<xs:element ref="cl:username" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:env" minOccurs="0" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:java_home" minOccurs="0" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:logdir" minOccurs="0" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:log_dir" minOccurs="0" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:txn_log_dir" minOccurs="0" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:store" minOccurs="0" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:iodevices" minOccurs="0" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:workingDir" />
-				<xs:element ref="cl:master-node" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:working_dir" />
+				<xs:element ref="cl:master_node" />
 				<xs:element ref="cl:node" maxOccurs="unbounded" />
 			</xs:sequence>
 		</xs:complexType>
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ConfigureCommand.java b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ConfigureCommand.java
index 129e416..43400ea 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ConfigureCommand.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ConfigureCommand.java
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@
         cluster.setWorkingDir(new WorkingDir(workingDir, true));
         cluster.setIodevices(workingDir);
         cluster.setStore("storage");
-        cluster.setLogdir(workingDir + File.separator + "logs");
-        cluster.setJavaHome(System.getenv("JAVA_HOME"));
+        cluster.setLogDir(workingDir + File.separator + "logs");
+        cluster.setTxnLogDir(workingDir + File.separator + "txnLogs");
+        cluster.setJavaHome(System.getProperty("java.home"));
 
         JAXBContext ctx = JAXBContext.newInstance(Cluster.class);
         Marshaller marshaller = ctx.createMarshaller();
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@
         configuration.getZookeeper().setHomeDir(
                 InstallerDriver.getManagixHome() + File.separator + InstallerDriver.MANAGIX_INTERNAL_DIR
                         + File.separator + "zookeeper_home");
-        configuration.getZookeeper().getServers().setJavaHome(System.getenv("JAVA_HOME"));
+        configuration.getZookeeper().getServers().setJavaHome(System.getProperty("java.home"));
 
         marshaller = ctx.createMarshaller();
         marshaller.setProperty(Marshaller.JAXB_FORMATTED_OUTPUT, true);
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ValidateCommand.java b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ValidateCommand.java
index e5700e9..f469fe4 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ValidateCommand.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/ValidateCommand.java
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@
             serverIds.add(cluster.getMasterNode().getId());
 
             MasterNode masterNode = cluster.getMasterNode();
-            Node master = new Node(masterNode.getId(), masterNode.getClusterIp(), masterNode.getJavaHome(), masterNode
-                    .getLogdir(), null, null);
+            Node master = new Node(masterNode.getId(), masterNode.getClusterIp(), masterNode.getJavaHome(),
+                    masterNode.getLogDir(), null, null, null);
             ipAddresses.add(masterNode.getClusterIp());
 
             valid = valid & validateNodeConfiguration(master, cluster);
@@ -162,8 +162,8 @@
 
     private void validateClusterProperties(Cluster cluster) {
         List<String> tempDirs = new ArrayList<String>();
-        if (cluster.getLogdir() != null && checkTemporaryPath(cluster.getLogdir())) {
-            tempDirs.add("Log directory: " + cluster.getLogdir());
+        if (cluster.getLogDir() != null && checkTemporaryPath(cluster.getLogDir())) {
+            tempDirs.add("Log directory: " + cluster.getLogDir());
         }
         if (cluster.getIodevices() != null && checkTemporaryPath(cluster.getIodevices())) {
             tempDirs.add("IO Device: " + cluster.getIodevices());
@@ -190,8 +190,8 @@
             }
         }
 
-        if (node.getLogdir() == null || node.getLogdir().length() == 0) {
-            if (cluster.getLogdir() == null || cluster.getLogdir().length() == 0) {
+        if (node.getLogDir() == null || node.getLogDir().length() == 0) {
+            if (cluster.getLogDir() == null || cluster.getLogDir().length() == 0) {
                 valid = false;
                 LOGGER.fatal("log_dir not defined at cluster/node level for node: " + node.getId() + ERROR);
             }
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/driver/InstallerUtil.java b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/driver/InstallerUtil.java
index af68614..c9395ca 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/driver/InstallerUtil.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/driver/InstallerUtil.java
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
     }
 
     public static void createAsterixZip(AsterixInstance asterixInstance) throws IOException, InterruptedException,
-            JAXBException {
+            JAXBException, InstallerException {
 
         String modifiedZipPath = injectAsterixPropertyFile(InstallerDriver.getAsterixZip(), asterixInstance);
         injectAsterixLogPropertyFile(modifiedZipPath, asterixInstance);
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@
                 + "asterix"));
         clusterProperties.add(new Property("CLUSTER_NET_IP", cluster.getMasterNode().getClusterIp()));
         clusterProperties.add(new Property("CLIENT_NET_IP", cluster.getMasterNode().getClientIp()));
-        clusterProperties.add(new Property("LOG_DIR", cluster.getLogdir()));
+        clusterProperties.add(new Property("LOG_DIR", cluster.getLogDir()));
         clusterProperties.add(new Property("JAVA_HOME", cluster.getJavaHome()));
         clusterProperties.add(new Property("WORKING_DIR", cluster.getWorkingDir().getDir()));
         cluster.setEnv(new Env(clusterProperties));
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
     }
 
     private static String injectAsterixLogPropertyFile(String origZipFile, AsterixInstance asterixInstance)
-            throws IOException {
+            throws IOException, InstallerException {
         String asterixInstanceDir = InstallerDriver.getAsterixDir() + File.separator + asterixInstance.getName();
         unzip(origZipFile, asterixInstanceDir);
         File sourceJar1 = new File(asterixInstanceDir + File.separator + "lib" + File.separator + "asterix-app-"
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@
             txnLogProperties.load(in);
         }
 
-        writeAsterixLogConfigurationFile(asterixInstance.getName(), asterixInstance.getCluster(), txnLogProperties);
+        writeAsterixLogConfigurationFile(asterixInstance, txnLogProperties);
 
         File sourceJar2 = new File(asterixInstanceDir + File.separator + "lib" + File.separator + "asterix-app-"
                 + asterixInstance.getAsterixVersion() + ".jar");
@@ -232,19 +232,31 @@
                 + ASTERIX_CONFIGURATION_FILE));
     }
 
-    private static void writeAsterixLogConfigurationFile(String asterixInstanceName, Cluster cluster,
-            Properties logProperties) throws IOException {
+    private static void writeAsterixLogConfigurationFile(AsterixInstance asterixInstance, Properties logProperties)
+            throws IOException, InstallerException {
+        String asterixInstanceName = asterixInstance.getName();
+        Cluster cluster = asterixInstance.getCluster();
         StringBuffer conf = new StringBuffer();
         for (Map.Entry<Object, Object> p : logProperties.entrySet()) {
             conf.append(p.getKey() + "=" + p.getValue() + "\n");
         }
 
         for (Node node : cluster.getNode()) {
-            String iodevices = node.getIodevices() == null ? cluster.getIodevices() : node.getIodevices();
-            String txnLogDir = iodevices.split(",")[0].trim() + File.separator + InstallerUtil.TXN_LOG_DIR;
+            String txnLogDir = node.getTxnLogDir() == null ? cluster.getTxnLogDir() : node.getTxnLogDir();
+            if (txnLogDir == null) {
+                throw new InstallerException("Transaction log directory (txn_log_dir) not configured for node: "
+                        + node.getId());
+            }
             conf.append(asterixInstanceName + "_" + node.getId() + "." + TXN_LOG_DIR_KEY_SUFFIX + "=" + txnLogDir
                     + "\n");
         }
+        List<edu.uci.ics.asterix.common.configuration.Property> properties = asterixInstance.getAsterixConfiguration()
+                .getProperty();
+        for (edu.uci.ics.asterix.common.configuration.Property p : properties) {
+            if (p.getName().trim().toLowerCase().contains("log")) {
+                conf.append(p.getValue() + "=" + p.getValue());
+            }
+        }
         dumpToFile(InstallerDriver.getAsterixDir() + File.separator + asterixInstanceName + File.separator
                 + "log.properties", conf.toString());
 
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java
index 0d50bbf..4216978 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/events/PatternCreator.java
@@ -173,16 +173,18 @@
         String workingDir = cluster.getWorkingDir().getDir();
         String backupId = "" + instance.getBackupInfo().size();
         String iodevices;
+        String txnLogDir;
         String store;
         String pargs;
         List<Pattern> patternList = new ArrayList<Pattern>();
         for (Node node : cluster.getNode()) {
             Nodeid nodeid = new Nodeid(new Value(null, node.getId()));
             iodevices = node.getIodevices() == null ? instance.getCluster().getIodevices() : node.getIodevices();
+            txnLogDir = node.getTxnLogDir() == null ? instance.getCluster().getTxnLogDir() : node.getTxnLogDir();
             store = node.getStore() == null ? cluster.getStore() : node.getStore();
             pargs = workingDir + " " + instance.getName() + " " + iodevices + " " + store + " "
-                    + BackupCommand.ASTERIX_ROOT_METADATA_DIR + " " + InstallerUtil.TXN_LOG_DIR + " " + backupId + " "
-                    + backupDir + " " + "local" + " " + node.getId();
+                    + BackupCommand.ASTERIX_ROOT_METADATA_DIR + " " + txnLogDir + " " + backupId + " " + backupDir
+                    + " " + "local" + " " + node.getId();
             Event event = new Event("backup", nodeid, pargs);
             patternList.add(new Pattern(null, 1, null, event));
         }
@@ -407,7 +409,7 @@
     private Patterns createRemoveAsterixLogDirPattern(AsterixInstance instance) throws Exception {
         List<Pattern> patternList = new ArrayList<Pattern>();
         Cluster cluster = instance.getCluster();
-        String pargs = instance.getCluster().getLogdir();
+        String pargs = instance.getCluster().getLogDir();
         Nodeid nodeid = new Nodeid(new Value(null, cluster.getMasterNode().getId()));
         Event event = new Event("file_delete", nodeid, pargs);
         patternList.add(new Pattern(null, 1, null, event));
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml b/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml
index d397bcd..ff5e2f4 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml
@@ -1,21 +1,22 @@
 <cluster xmlns="cluster">
   <name>local</name>
-  <workingDir>
+  <working_dir>
     <dir>/tmp/asterix-installer</dir>
     <NFS>true</NFS>
-  </workingDir>
-  <logdir>/tmp/asterix/logs</logdir>
+  </working_dir>
+  <log_dir>/tmp/asterix/logs</log_dir>
+  <txn_log_dir>/tmp/asterix/logs</txn_log_dir>
   <iodevices>/tmp</iodevices>
   <store>asterix/storage</store>
   <java_home></java_home>
   <java_opts>-Xmx1024m</java_opts>
-  <master-node>
+  <master_node>
     <id>master</id>
-    <client-ip>127.0.0.1</client-ip>
-    <cluster-ip>127.0.0.1</cluster-ip>
-  </master-node>
+    <client_ip>127.0.0.1</client_ip>
+    <cluster_ip>127.0.0.1</cluster_ip>
+  </master_node>
   <node>
     <id>node1</id>
-    <cluster-ip>127.0.0.1</cluster-ip>
+    <cluster_ip>127.0.0.1</cluster_ip>
   </node>
 </cluster>