The Message Browser enables you to set filter criteria that:

• Define which real-time incoming messages to display during online monitoring

• Define which messages to retrieve in a database query

You can also set filters that the data collection agents use. For more information, see Chapter 7, "Creating Filters," in the Log Central Configuration Guide.

To filter messages:

1. Start the Message Browser:

   1. Start the Log Central Console by running lc_launch on the central host.

      For detailed information about starting the Console, see Introducing the Log Central Console. For the lc_launch command syntax, see Commands.

   2. Click Msg Browser. Log Central displays the Message Browser.

2. Click Filter.

   The Message Browser displays the Filter Settings window.

   Figure 3-4 Filter Settings Window

   

3. Select Online Monitoring or Historical Query.

   The Filter Settings window displays the current filter settings for online monitoring or database queries. When you select Online Monitoring in the Message Browser and click Start, the Message Browser uses the online monitoring filter settings to display real-time incoming messages. When you select Historical Query in the Message Browser and click Start, the Message Browser uses the database query filter settings to retrieve and display messages that are in the Log Central database.

4. Select one of the Acknowledged Messages buttons:

   • Yes—Display only acknowledged messages.

   • No—Display only unacknowledged messages.

   • All—Display acknowledged and unacknowledged messages.

5. If you are filtering a database query:

   • Optionally, specify the first message by checking First Log Message and setting a date and time for the first message.

   • Optionally, specify the last message by checking Last Log Message and setting a date and time for the last message.

6. If you are filtering a database query, optionally set the sort order based on message fields.

   You can configure up to three sorts, using ascending and descending sort order. To configure a sort:

   • Select or deselect Ascending. If you deselect Ascending, the Log Central Console sorts the messages in descending order. Ascending or descending order is determined by the alphabetical or numerical values in the selected message field. If a message field can contain both alphabetical and numerical values, the numerical values come first when sorted in ascending order.

   • Choose a message field in the Key drop-down list. Log Central sorts based on Key1 if it is set, then based on Key2 if it is set, and finally based on Key3 if it is set. The result is one list. For example, if Key1 is Date and Key2 is Subsystem, Log Central sorts by date and then by subsystem. The resulting list is ordered by subsystem, with the messages for a given subsystem ordered by date.

7. Optionally, select the severity levels and log levels to include.

8. Optionally, set filter criteria for the message fields:

   1. Select the tab for a message field. (There is a tab for most of the message fields.)

   2. Decide which of the following types of filter criteria to use for this field:

      Include messages that contain any values for this field (Show All).

      Include messages that contain values in the Use Include List.

      Exclude messages that contain values in the Use Exclude List.

      In the example in the preceding figure, Log Central excludes messages for which the Subsystem value is EM, GP, LM, or ORACLE.

   3. If you decided to use the Use Include List or Use Exclude List:

      To move values from one list to the other, highlight the values and click the appropriate Selected button (Selected < or Selected >).

      To move all values from one list to the other, click the appropriate All button (All < or All >).

      To delete values from a list, select the values and click Del Selected. To delete all values in both lists, click Delete All.

      To add a new value to a list, select the Use Include List or the Use Exclude List, enter the value in the text field above the buttons, and press Enter.

   4. Select the Show All, Use Include List, or Use Exclude List button depending on the type of filter criteria you are using.

   5. Repeat steps a through d for other tabs (fields) as desired.

9. Click OK.

   The Log Central Console preserves these message definition editor filter settings until the next time that you modify them as long as you keep the Log Central Console running. Filter settings are lost when you exit the Log Central Console.