The Miscellaneous Log automatically records all real-time switching actions that are not recorded in any switching sheet. The miscellaneous log does not need to be open for steps to be recorded; the system automatically detects steps performed in real-time that are not being recorded in a switching sheet. You can use the miscellaneous log rather than creating emergency switching sheets.
To view the Miscellaneous Log, select Miscellaneous Log... from the Tools menu. The Miscellaneous Log displays the same columns as a switching sheet Steps tab with the addition of an Events column. The steps list does not have a Version column as miscellaneous logs do not have versioning capabilities. See “Steps Tab” for column descriptions.
The following fields and buttons are displayed at the top of the Miscellaneous Log tab.
• The From date picker, Range drop-down list, and the All Users check box set the log's filter criteria. Note that the From date picker only includes dates, but not specific times.
• The Fetch button () is used to get records from the database.
• The Previous () and Next () buttons allow you to view the log entries for the previous or following period. For example, if the number of days drop-down list is set to 1 week, then clicking the Previous button displays the previous week's log entries.
• The Complete button () completes the selected instructed steps. The status of the step changes to Completed.
• The Abort button () sets the status of an instructed step to Aborted. Use this if the step was never attempted.
• The Fail button () sets the status of an instructed step to Failed. Use this if the step was attempted but failed.
• The Uninstruct button () will remove the instruct condition from the asset and delete the instructed step that was recorded into the Miscellaneous Log.
• The Focus button () focuses the Viewer on the selected asset.
• The Cut button () allows you to cut one or more steps from the miscellaneous log. You can then paste the steps into another switching sheet.
• The Print Preview button () allows you to generate and view the Miscellaneous Log report based on any applied filters. The output will include the date range for the steps included in the log, the user, and finally the list of steps. You will be prompted to select a report format (PDF, HTML, RTF, or XML); click Preview... to generate the file, which will open in an application that is associated with that file type (for example, Adobe Reader for PDFs or your default web browser for HTML). You may save the generated file.
Note: The filters will be refreshed when the report is generated so they will always contain current data regardless of what steps are displayed at the time the button was clicked.
• The Print button () allows you to print the Miscellaneous Log report based on any applied filters (see Note for Print Preview, above). You will be prompted to select a report format (PDF, HTML, RTF, or XML) and your printer; click Print.
• The Email button () allows you to email the Miscellaneous Log report based on any applied filters (see Note for Print Preview, above). You will be prompted to select a report format (PDF, HTML, RTF, or XML); click Email... to generate the file, which will be attached to a new message launched from your default email application.
• The Help button () displays help for the Miscellaneous Log tab.
Filtering the Log
Use the fields at the top of the Miscellaneous Log tab to filter the list as follows:
1. Select a starting date from the From date picker.
2. From the drop-down list, select the number of days from that starting date for which you want to see log entries.
3. Check or uncheck the All Users check box. (When All Users is checked, the log shows steps that were executed by all users; when unchecked, the log shows only steps that were executed by you.
4. Use the fields at the top of the tab to filter the log.
5. Click the Fetch button to refresh the list based on your entries.
Editing the Miscellaneous Log Steps
The Operation, Details, and Comments step columns are the only columns in the Miscellaneous Log that can be edited. The edits are automatically submitted to the database when cell focus is lost. Cell focus occurs when you press Enter or when you tab out of the field. The cell edit will also be submitted to the database if you navigate to another tab within the Oracle Utilities Network Management System environment. Step field edits within the Miscellaneous Log cannot be undone. If you wish to cancel what you are doing in the Comments field, then press the Esc key. Note that editing the Operation step column can only occur for No-Op steps just as it is in switching sheet steps. Once edited, the background color for the step will turn yellow to indicate that the default Operation text has been altered.