This chapter provides information on using the Message Log Viewer. The CiscoWorks Blue Message Log Viewer consists of a message log server and a message log client. The CiscoWorks Blue Process Manager automatically starts the message log server, which collects error messages from all the Maps and SNA View processes and stores them in the message log. You can view the messages from the Message Log viewer.
This chapter includes the following main sections:
Use the following information to start the Message Log.
The message log client lets you view the messages as they are logged. To start the message log client, use the cwb start MsgLogClient command:
/opt/CSCOcb/bin/cwb start MsgLogClient
From the Administration window, select Tools > Message Log Client
Note The message log client displays messages only while they are being
logged and the message log client is active. It does not display
messages from the message logs themselves. To see any messages
that were logged before you started the message log client, view the
message log files as described in the
"Viewing
the Message Logs" section.
Displaying a Message Log View
You can view messages that meet the criteria defined for each view you create. A default view, called All, displays all the messages that are being logged. To define your own customized views, see the "Customizing a Message Log View" section.
Note Normally you should use the All view because the other views are
temporary and are not saved when you exit the Message Log
application.
Step 1 Display the Message Log Information window. The Log Control window is displayed.
Step 2 Click the Log Display tab. The Log Display window is displayed.
Step 3 In the Log Display window, click the button for the view you want to see. Figure 6-1 shows only one view button, All. Click All to see all the logged messages. Click another view button, if available, to see the messages logged for that view.
The default view, named All, shows all messages being logged. You can use the New View window to create customized views showing data that meet specific criteria. For example, a view that shows messages from only a small set of applications or that displays only selected key message fields.
Note This New View is temporary and is removed when you exit the
Message Log Client.
To customize message views, specify a set of criteria for selecting the messages you want to view and for determining how much information about each message you want to see.
Step 2 Click Log Display. The Log Display window is displayed.
Step 3 In the Log Display window, click New View. The New View Display window is displayed, as shown in Figure 6-2.
Figure 6-2 Message Log New View Window
Step 4 In the Enter view name field, enter a name for this view. It should be short enough to fit on a view button.
Step 5 In the Specify filter for the log messages field, click Enable to enable filtering. Use the three following fields to create the message filter:
Use the left field to specify the message characteristic that you want to filter.
Use the center field to specify the message condition that you want to satisfy.
Use the right field to specify the text that is the criteria of the filter.
Step 6 In the Specify fields to be displayed field, select the message elements that you want displayed for each message.
Step 7 In the Allow automatic clearing of message display field, specify the maximum number of messages that can accumulate in the message log for this view before the log is purged and new messages are logged.
Step 8 In the Highlighting field, click Enable to enable highlighting of messages that meet specified criteria. All messages that meet the criteria will be displayed in the selected color. Use the following three fields to create the highlighting criteria:
Use the left field to specify the message characteristic that you want to filter.
Use the center field to specify the message condition that you want to satisfy.
Use the right field to specify the text that is the criteria of the filter.
Step 9 In the Color field, select the color to be used for highlighting.
Step 10 Click OK to save your changes. The message view appears as a button on the Log Display window.
Deleting a Message Log View
After you define a series of message views, the Log Display window may become cluttered with view buttons. To remove some of the buttons, use the following procedure:
Step 1 In the Log Display window, click the button for the view you want to delete. A large X appears in a square button at the upper-right corner of the message display just above the right scroll bar.
Step 2 Click the large X. The button for that view is deleted.
Using the Message Log Viewer
The Message Log Viewer provides a log of status messages generated by the Maps and SNA View applications. To access the Message Log Viewer window, issue the cwb start MsgLogClient command. The window appears with the host name in the title bar. The Message Log Viewer window contains the following tabs, which you can click to display the Log Display and the Log Control windows:
Log Display
Log Control
Log Display Window
The Log Display window displays a list of the accumulated messages from one message view, as shown in Figure 6-1.
Figure 6-3 Log Display Window
The Log Display window displays all the messages logged for the selected view.
Buttons
The Log Display window has buttons that provide the following functions:
Button
Description
All
Displays all messages generated by the message categories enabled in the Log Control window.
View Name (up to 6)
Displays buttons for the new message views that you define in the New View window.
New View
Displays the New View window, which allows you to specify criteria for the message to be displayed in the Log Display window.
Clear View
Removes all of the currently displayed messages from the view.
Pause View/Resume View
Stops scrolling of the messages as they are received. New messages are still received but the list does not scroll in the view.
Exit
Stops the Message Log client and closes the window.
Help
Displays help information about the window.
Log Control Window
The Log Control window, as shown in Figure 6-4, displays a list of all currently running Maps and SNA View applications for which messages can be collected in the message log, and the message categories available for each application.
Figure 6-4 Message Log Information—Log Control Window
You can change which message levels are logged by default for each process by editing the runprocess command script or by changing them in this window.
Note For HP systems only, the APPN/SNASw, DLSw, RSRB, and
PollerServer applications do not send messages to the Message Log
server. Therefore, you cannot view messages from those
applications in either the Message Log client or the message logs
files.
The Log Control window contains the following fields:
Field
Description
Process Name
Lists, by name, all the currently running Maps and SNA View applications on UNIX workstations. You can change which message levels are logged by each process by editing the runprocess command script or by changing them dynamically here. Editing the runprocess script is described in "CiscoWorks Blue Commands and Processes."
Message Category
For the selected application, lists all valid message categories and indicates whether they are enabled for display. The message categories available include the following:
Debug—Useful when you are debugging a problem with help from Cisco's Technical Assistance Center.
Error—Generates messages when any operational error condition occurs.
Warning—Generates messages when an error condition that is not fatal occurs.
Info—Generates messages to notify you of status information.
The Error, Warning, and Info message categories are enabled by default. To enable a message category, click Enable. Click Apply when finished.
Buttons
The Log Control window has buttons that provide the following functions:
Button
Description
Reset
Resets each message category to its previous (Enabled or Disabled) state.
Apply
Executes changes that you have made to the messages categories.
Exit
Stops the Message Log client and closes the window.
Help
Displays information about the window.
Using the Message Log New View Window
The Message Log New View window lets you add a new view for the message log, as shown in Figure 6-2. The default view, named All, shows all messages being logged. You can use the New View window to create customized views that show specific sets of data. For example, you might want to create a view that shows messages from only a small set of applications or that displays only selected key message fields.
Figure 6-5 Message Log New View Window
Fields
The Message Log New View window contains the following fields:
Field
Description
Enter view name
Enter a new name for this new view. The new name will appear on a button on the Log Display window.
Specify filter for the log messages
Select the Enable check box to enable filtering of messages in the message display.
Use the left field to specify the characteristic you want to filter:
Process Name—Filters messages based on the name of the issuing process.
Hostname—Filters messages based on the name of the issuing host.
Message Category—Filters messages based on the category of the message.
Message—Filters messages based on the actual text in the message.
Use the center field to specify the message condition you want to satisfy:
equals—Displays messages that exactly match the filtering criteria.
not equals—Displays messages that do not match the message criteria.
contains—Displays messages that partially satisfy the criteria.
Use the right field to specify the text that is the criteria of the filter. For example, to display messages with message categories that contain the word "error" (as in Error messages) you would select this item:
Message Category contains error
Specify fields to be displayed
Specifies the fields in the message that you want displayed. select the check boxes of the fields you want to include. Deselect the check boxes of fields you do not want displayed.
Allow automatic clearing of message display
Lets you specify automatic clearing of the message log after a specified number of messages have accumulated.
Highlighting
Select the Enable check box to enable highlighting of messages in the message display.
Use the left field to specify the characteristic you want to filter:
Process Name—highlights messages based on the name of the issuing process.
Hostname—highlights messages based on the name of the issuing host.
Message Category—highlights filters messages based on the category of the message.
Message—highlights messages based on the actual text in the message.
Use the center field to specify the message condition you want to satisfy:
equals—highlights messages that exactly match the filtering criteria.
not equals—highlights messages that do not match the message criteria.
contains—highlights messages that partially satisfy the criteria.
Use the right field to specify the text that is the criteria of the filter: For example, to highlight messages with message categories that contain the word "error" (as in Error messages) you would select these items:
Message Category contains error.
Color
Lets you specify the color of the text and background that displays in the View name section of the main window.
Buttons
The New View window has buttons that provide the following functions:
Button
Description
OK
Saves the view definition as a button on the Log Display window.
Cancel
Cancels the view definition and returns to the Log Display window.
Viewing the Message Logs
The CiscoWorks Blue messages are logged in message log files stored in the /opt/CSCOcb/logs directory. Each message log file name is in the format cwblogger.log.X, where X is either 0 or 1. Look at the time stamp to find the most recent log file. You can view these message log files with any editor or file browser (such as the more command). This file wraps at 10000 messages.
When the Message log server is stopped and restarted, it begins logging messages in the log file that contains the oldest messages.
