code: function(levelTag, message, bufferMaxLength)
    {
      // initialize the winston logger if needed
      if (!winstonLogger)
      {
        winstonLogger = new winston.createLogger(
        {
          transports:
          [
            new (winston.transports.Console)(),
            new (winston.transports.File)({ filename: 'snowflake.log' })
          ],
          level: common.getLevelTag(),
          levels: common.getLevelTagsMap()
        });
      }
  
      // get the appropriate logging method using the level tag and use this
      // method to log the message
      winstonLogger[levelTag](message);
    }
docs: Logs a message at a given level.
  
  @param {String} levelTag the tag associated with the level at which to log
  the message.
  @param {String} message the message to log.
  @param {Number} bufferMaxLength the maximum size to which the message
  buffer can grow.