2.7.00 enhancements and patches

Review the PATROL for Log Management enhancements and patches for features that will benefit your organization and to understand changes that might impact your users. For the list of issues resolved in this release, see Known and corrected issues.

Related topics

Monitor types and attributes
Installing

Configuring after installation

For a list of recent updates and enhancements across multiple versions, see Release notes and notices.

BMC applies upgrades as described in BMC Helix Upgrade policy . BMC applies upgrades and patches during Maintenance windows .

2.7.44

Monitor logs with Sudo access

In Patrol for Log Management, you can set Sudo user configuration for local and remote log monitoring to monitor the logs. For more information, see Configuring Log Monitoring and Configuring Text Files. 

Important

The Log Management KM 2.7.44 is compatible with PATROL Agent 24.3 and later. 

For the list of issues resolved in this release, see Known and corrected issues.

 

 

2.7.43

Configure remote log monitoring for Linux environment

In Patrol for Log Management, you can directly configure remote log monitoring for a Linux environment without relying on the UNIX KM. You can also add multiple remote hosts. For more information, see Configuring Text Files.

Containerized support for Log Management KM

In version 2.7.43, the Patrol for Log Management KM is available in containerized mode. You can monitor the Patrol for Log Management KM by using BMC Helix Monitor Agent -Containerized.

 

2.7.41

For the list of issues resolved in this release, see Known and corrected issues.

 

2.7.40

Support to add arguments for script files

For the Script File monitor type, you can now enter arguments in addition to the script file path that are used while executing the script files. For more information, see Configuring Script Files.

Support for ECMAScript Regex

For the Text Files and Script Files monitor types, you can now use ECMAScript Regex to define the pattern search criteria.

Support for additional pconfig variables

The following pconfig variables are added:

  • actRegexType
  • actNameArguments
  • ignoreScriptRunError

For more information, see Configuring a text file for multiple search criteria by using pconfig variables.

Ability to add Text Settings for Script Files monitor type

While configuring the Script Files monitor type, you can now configure the text settings where you can specify the number of lines from the log file that you want to display when a match is found and specify the string to nullify the alarm for the dual search feature. For more information, see Configuring Text Files.

Ability to enable or disable debug logging by using the LOG application class

You can now use the LOG application class to enable of disable debug logging. Earlier, you used the PMGDEBUG class for this purpose.

Discontinued features

Support for the following monitor types is discontinued:

  • Binary
  • XML
  • Named pipe

 

2.7.30.01

Updates in the 2.7.30.01 patch

2.7.30.01 patch includes the following updates:

  • PATROL for Log Management enables you to specify the number of lines to search a match string. Depending on the value that you specify in the Number of lines in log entry field, the KM displays the number of lines, when a match is found. 

    With the 2.7.30.01 patch, the number of lines configured in the Number of lines in log entry field is appended to the custom event message in the TrueSight console. Earlier, this feature was available in the PATROL consoles only. See, Last Strings Matched by the Template Regular Expression (LOGMatchString) attribute.

    To enable this feature, set the value of /PMG/CONFIG/<instance name>/appendLogEntryLinesToCustomEvent pconfig variable to 1.

  • The KM now provides an option to replace the special characters (Comma ( , ), double quotation marks ( " ), and single quotation marks ( ' )) in the custom event message with tags. Earlier, the KM deleted the special characters from the message. 

    To use this feature, set the /PMG/CONFIG/replaceAnnotationSpecialChars variable to 1. 

    The substitution strings cannot be specified, they are predefined:

    Original character

    Replaced string

    Comma ( , )

    BMC_COMMA

    double quotation marks ( " )

    BMC_DQUOTE

     single quotation marks ( ' )

    BMC_QUOTE

    For example A,B will be replaced by ABMC_COMMAB.

 

2.7.30

Support for monitoring of latest log files with a single Log file instance

PATROL for Log Management now supports monitoring of the latest log file with a single, permanent Log file instance. The Use permanent instance name when monitoring the latest file option in the Log Monitoring monitor type supports this feature.

Alternatively, you can also enable this feature with the /PMG/CONFIG/onLatestUsePermanentInst configuration variable. For a list of configuration variables, see PATROL-Agent-configuration-variables.

Added Read Logs agent action

In addition to configuring the monitor types, you can now execute the Read Logs agent action from the TrueSight console. The Read Logs agent action forces the LOG collector parameters to refresh.

For more information, see Executing-agent-actions-on-a-monitor.

Support for configuring the read position of an instance

This feature enables you to configure the read position of a file after a PATROL Agent is re-initialized or when a new file matches the file path configured from the TrueSight console. Earlier, this option was available only through PATROL agent configuration variables. To use this feature, configure the File read position option in the Text files configuration. 

Select one of the following options in the File read position field to configure the read position:

  • Read from last offset - Log file reads from the last offset
  • Read from end of file - Log file reads from the end of the file
  • Read from beginning of file - Log file reads from the beginning of the file
  • Use existing configuration -  The log file is read from the last offset

Note

The File read position option is available only in a text file configuration. It does not work if the file type is binary or script.

Added platform support

The following platforms are now supported by PATROL for Log Management KM:

  • IBM AIX 7.2 (64 bit)
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0, PPC64LE
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.2
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.3
  • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12, PPC64LE

Note

The new platforms are supported with 10.7.00 and later versions of the PATROL Agent and the PATROL Installation Utility.

 

2.7.00 enhancements

BMC PATROL KM for Log Management v2.7.00 has been enhanced with the following changes and new features.

Added remote log monitoring functionality on UNIX

With 2.7.00 release, you can use BMC PATROL KM for Log Management to monitor log files that are located on remote hosts. 

BMC PATROL KM for Log Management currently supports the remote log  monitoring functionality on UNIX and Linux platforms only. You do not have to install any software on the remote host for the PATROL Agent to connect to it.

The remote log monitoring functionality remains disabled by default till you  configure a remote instance for the first time, or until a previously-configured remote instance is detected when the PATROL Agent is initialized.

Note

  • BMC recommends to use pre-loaded KMs for remote log monitoring.
  • BMC recommends to use remote log monitoring along with the remote UNIX monitoring. Before configuring remote log instances, ensure that the ConnectionStatus parameter of the COLLECTORS application class is in OK state.

Merged pmgpipereader with pmgreader

The pmgpipereader binary has been merged with the pmgreader binary. With this release, all former pmgpipereader functions are supported by the pmgreader binary. Pmgpipereader is no longer included as an individual component when you install or upgrade to version 2.7.00 or later of BMC PATROL KM for Log Management.

Statically linked libraries enabled for pmgreader on UNIX

The pmgreader binary no longer utilizes dynamically linked library files, such as Xerces library files on UNIX platforms. The Xerces library is now statically linked with pmgreader, and is no longer included as an individual component when you install or upgrade to version 2.7.00 or later of BMC PATROL KM for Log Management.

Changed the way pmgreader is installed on the monitored host on UNIX

On UNIX, when you install BMC PATROL KM for Log Management, multiple versions of the pmgreader binary are saved in separate folders in the $patrol_home/pmg directory on the PATROL Agent computer. Each folder contains a platform-specific version of the pmgreader binary.
When you add a remote host for log monitoring, depending on the remote host operating system, the required platform-specific version of pmgreader is installed on the remote host in the $HOME/BMCPatrol directory.

Implemented pipe in pukremotexec.xpc using SSH protocol

The SSH protocol is now used by the pukremotexec.xpc binary to create and maintain a pipe between the PATROL Agent computer and the remote host that is being monitored. This function is performed by the remotePipeColl collector parameter.

Implemented Session Control Protocol (SCP) protocol in pukremotexec.xpc to copy the pmgreader binary to the remote host

The Session Control Protocol (SCP) protocol is now used by the pukremotexec.xpc binary to copy the required platform-specific pmgreader binary file from the PATROL Agent computer to the remote host that is being monitored. This function is performed by the LOGSCPColl collector parameter.

Added the delPmgreaderAfterMin pconfig variable

This release supports the new delPmgreaderAfterMin pconfig variable. This pconfig variable enables you to set the time in minutes that BMC PATROL KM for Log Management waits before deleting the pmgreader binary from a remote host, if you delete all of the instances that you had configured. The default value is 10.

Note

If you directly remove a remote host on which log monitoring is configured, the pmgreader binary is not deleted. Only the pmgreader process is stopped on the remote host.

New parameters in 2.7.00 release

This release supports the new parameters listed in table below:

Parameter

Description

Displays the collection status for a monitored host. The parameter goes into an alarm state when collection fails.
This parameter is available only for log monitoring on remote hosts.

Is used to copy pmgreader to the remote host. This parameter also checks whether the pmgreader process is running on the remote host, and if the binary file is valid. If an invalid pmgreader binary file is found on the remote host, or if pmgreader has not been copied to the remote host, PATROL KM for LOG Management copies the required binary file to the remote host and any existing file is overwritten. The pmgreader binary is located in the $HOME/BMCPatrol/ directory on the remote host. This folder is created by the KM.

This parameter is inactive by default. It becomes active when you configure a remote instance for the first time, or when a remote instance is discovered for the first time.

This parameter is available only for log monitoring on remote hosts.

Note

pmgreader cannot be copied to the remote host if it is already running. In this case, a notification is displayed.

Is used internally by PATROL KM for LOG Management application for normal priority scan on remote hosts. This parameter is available only for log monitoring on remote hosts.

Executes the pmgreader binary with the pipe argument to monitor named pipe instances. This parameter is available only for log monitoring on remote hosts.

 

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