Setting Always On logging

This section contains the following topics: 

 

Best Practice
We recommend that you use the AR System Management Console to set Always On logging. For more information, see Setting-global-level-and-local-level-configurations-for-a-server-group.

Introduction to the Always On Logging option

Historically, if you experienced a AR System server failure, BMC would request you to enable logging and then wait for the problem to re-occur so that the data could be collected and then an analysis could be performed.

Now, the Always On Logging option helps you to reduce, and in some cases, eliminate the need to enable logging. This option allows BMC to immediately perform an analysis and in some cases, provide a root cause of the failure without having you to enable the logging and wait for the problem to reoccur. The Always On Logging option helps you identify the root cause of issues faster and also helps in improving the support for AR System server.

Enabling the Always On Logging feature logs several types of information. To understand the different types of log information, see Types of logs. For AR System server, the Always On Logging option is enabled by default and is initiated when AR System server starts. You can manually enable or disable the option, if required.

Important

  • For some instances, you may still have to generate additional log files.
  • Always On Logging option may utilize 5% to 10% excess CPU depending on the usage of the system. If CPU utilization is around 90%, consider adding extra CPU capacity.
  • The size of the allocated buffer impacts the heap available for the rest of the process. We recommend not to modify the heap size. Instead, make sure that the size of the logs is not too large and does not require a change in the heap size. 
  • If you enable the Always On Logging option with the default settings, the heap memory consumption of Java plug-in server is high. We recommend not to modify the heap size. Instead, make sure that the size of the logs is not too large and does not require a change in the heap size. 

You can also enable the Always On Logging option from an user interface. The following video walks you through the Always On Logging feature.

icon-play.png https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sklqnVk3l7k

Configuring Always On Logging option for AR System server

Follow the steps given below to configure the Always On Logging option for AR System server:

Important

This form shows the local level value of the configuration. If a local value does not exist, the form displays the global level configuration. If you modify the value on this form, the local level configuration value is modified.

For example, if a configuration shows global level value and you modify the value by using this form, the local level value gets created for the configuration.

  1. In a browser, open the AR System Administration Console, and click System > General > Server Information.
    The AR System Administration: Server Information form appears.
  2. Click the Always On Logging tab. 
    AR System Administration: Server Information form - Always On Logging tab
    (Click the image to enlarge it.) 
    Server-Alwayson.png
  3. In the Always On Logging tab, specify the desired values for the given fields:
    1. In the File Name field, enter the log file name along with the location path.
    2. In the BufferSize (byte) field, enter the log size (in bytes). By default, this option is disabled. If you want to enable this option, enter a value in the BufferSize (byte) field.
    3. In the Errors Triggering Log field, enter the required error code . You can enter multiple error codes separated by a semicolon. The log file will record all the information related to the specified error codes. For more information on error codes, see AR-System-error-messages.
    4. In the Maximum Backups field, enter the number of backup files that you need to store.
  4. Click Apply.
  5. Click Ok.

Note

You can use the Save to File button to generate logs as and when desired. You need not wait for an error to occur and a log file to be generated. The Save to File button can be safely used to monitor the progress/performance of AR System server.

Important Considerations

The Always On Logging option ensures the following:

  • A minimum set of logs is always available either on-demand or at the time of an issue like a server or an operation failure.
  • If you have not enabled the server-side logging and the AR System server failure occurs or any other server related issues occur, the Always On Logging option provides a snapshot of the most recent activity in the server. This snapshot is saved into a file for review and analysis.
  • In a server group environment, ARGetServerInfo (GSI) having the operation number 430 saves the logging information for all the servers in the group. The logging information is saved for the server, its plug in server contents, and the thread stack traces of all the processes associated with the respective server.
  • If the AR System server failure occurs, it automatically takes a snapshot. Alternatively, you can also manually trigger a snapshot for other events.

Note

  • The AR System server automatically runs the Always On Logging option. Logging information using this option is independent of the existing logging.
  • The Always On Logging option does not save the log file information for ordinary shutdown options like arsystem stop or a Microsoft Windows stop service.

When you enable the Always On Logging option, the logging information is saved on the following conditions:

  1. On Demand: You can choose when to save the log information as required. This is applicable to server group environments as well. 
  2. On Error condition: This option checks if the error exists in the configured error list and only then save the buffer content in a log file. In a server group environment, logging information is saved on the server on which the error occurred.

Size of the Always On Logging option log file

Always On Logging option allows you to configure the log file size. The log file size is configured using the BufferSize parameter. The default size of the log file is 0 MB. 

Note

The size of the log file will not be same as the specified buffer size. The actual size of the generated log file will be approximately half the size of the specified buffer size. For example, if you specify the buffer size as 5MB, the log file generated will be roughly around 2.5MB.

Related topics

To enable Always On Logging for plug-in server, see Setting-plug-in-server-configuration-options.


 

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