Using Device Logging

The device-logging facility provides device-specific error information that you can use to analyze certain types of device problems. It can help to determine a failing sequence of events for an automated library, tape drive, or optical drive. The device-logging facility does not collect soft media errors (such as recoverable read errors).

Device-logging messages are written to individual log files. A log file is created for each automated library, for each tape and optical drive device, and for the historian. The log files are located in /var/opt/SUNWsamfs/devlog. The name of each log file corresponds to the name of the equipment ordinal.

For example, assume that you have a QFS file system and a single Hewlett-Packard optical library with two optical drives.

The following example shows the mcf file.

/dev/samst/c1t5u0 40 hp hp40 - /etc/opt/SUNWsamfs/hp40_cat
/dev/samst/c1t4u0 41 mo hp40 -
/dev/samst/c1t6u0 42 mo hp40 -

The following example shows the /var/opt/SUNWsamfs/devlog file. Device 43 is the historian.

# pwd
/var/opt/SUNWsamfs/devlog
# ls
40 41 42 43
#

When to Use the Device Log

The device log can easily generate many log messages, especially when all logging options for all devices are turned on and great deal of device activity occurs. Initially, the device log settings are set to the following default values:

err retry syserr date

If you suspect a problem exists with one of the devices, consider enabling additional logging events for that device. Also, enable device logging if you are advised to do so by your service provider. In these situations, set the event to detail. In extreme cases, your service provider might advise you to set the event to all for a device. However, in general, running the system with excessive logging is not practical.

The device log information is collected automatically when the samexplorer(1M) command is issued. This process enables the file system service to review any device error information as part of problem analysis activity.

How to Enable the Device Log by Using the samset Command

• Issue the samset command.

  # samset devlog eq event

  For eq, specify the equipment ordinal of the device for which you want to log messages.

  For event, specify one or more of the events listed in the samset(1M) man page. If you specify more than one event, separate them with space characters.

How to Enable the Device Log by Editing the defaults.conf File

1. Become superuser.
2. In the /etc/opt/SUNWsamfs/defaults.conf file, add the devlog directive.

   devlog eq event

   For eq, specify the equipment ordinal of the device for which you want to log messages.

   For event, specify one or more of the events listed in the samset(1M) man page. If you specify more than one event, separate them with space characters.

   When a QFS file system starts, it sets the event type for each available device to default. You can also use the samset command to determine the present settings for each device log.

3. Save and close the defaults.conf file.
4. Use the samd config command to propagate the defaults.conf file changes.

   # samd config