Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9 Operations, Maintenance, and Troubleshooting Guide - Appendix A - Configuring Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Log Files [Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch]

Table Of Contents

Configuring Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Log Files

Understanding Logging Files

Configuring the Data Dumper

Configuring the Data Dumper to Support BAMS

Understanding the Format of Log Files Archived Using Data Dumper

Configuring Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Log Files

This appendix contains descriptions of the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch log files and the associated procedures for setting up the data dumper that controls how files are handled for three of those those log file types. You can use these log records to obtain statistical information about the calls processed by the system and network events, such as delays or service-affecting conditions.

Understanding Logging Files

A log message consists of several fields. See the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9 Messages Reference for detailed information on specific fields and valid values in log files.

Table A-1 lists the log file types for the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software. The Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch creates these log files and stores them in the $BASEDIR/var/log directory, unless otherwise noted.

Table A-1 Log File Types

Log File Type

Active Name

Archived Name

Description

System

platform.log

platform_yyyymmddhhmmss.log

Contains log messages of varying severity created by system.

Command

mml.log

MML_yyyymmddhhmmss.log

Man-Machine Language (MML) command category log messages.

Alarms

alm.csv

alm_yyyymmddhhmmss_seq#.csv

Alarm category log messages. Archived files are stored in the $BASEDIR/var/spool directory.

Measurements

meas.csv

meas_yyyymmddhhmmss_seq#.csv

Measurement category log messages. Archived files are stored in the $BASEDIR/var/spool directory.

Call detail records (CDRs)

cdr.bin

cdr_yyyymmddhhmmss_seq#.bin

CDRs rotated on a regular basis. Archived files are stored in the $BASEDIR/var/spool directory.

Note The time stamps used on the archived file names (yyyymmddhhmmss) are in system time.

Configuring the Data Dumper

The Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software contains a function called the data dumper that controls the destinations for active and archived log files for CDRs, measurements, and alarms, and controls when the active files are archived. The data dumper runs automatically and works correctly with a default configuration. However, you can customize the dumper settings by editing the dmprSink.dat file. Here is an example of the contents of the dmprSink.dat file:
"callDetail" bin "cdr" "../var/log" "../var/spool" 1000 0 15
"measReport" csv "meas" "../var/log" "../var/spool" 500 0 15
"almState" csv "alm" "../var/log" "../var/spool" 500 0 15
The contents of the file displays the log file setup data for each of these three log file types. There are eight fields for each log file type in the file. The last three fields in each line can be modified to administer log file creation for these three log file types.

Caution Do not modify any of the first five fields in each line.

The first field in each line identifies the log file type, such as callDetail for the CDR log files. The second field in each line identifies the storage format used in the log files. The storage format is either bin for binary, or csv for comma-separated-value. The third field identifies the file name used to identify the file type, such as meas for system measurements. The fourth field identifies the directory in which the active log files are stored, and the fifth field identifies the directory in which the archived log files are stored.

Table A-2 describes the last three fields in each line, which you can be modify, depending on your needs.

Note At least one of the last three fields in each line MUST be set to a value other than zero (0) for logging to function properly.

Table A-2 Dumper Sink Log File Parameters

Field Number

Default Value

Description

6

1000

Defines the maximum number of records a file can contain before it is flushed or moved to the spool directory. If this value is set to 0, the number of records is unlimited. You can improve system performance by increasing the value of this field to a larger value, such as 50000. This results in fewer log files being generated during periods of high call volume.

Note In the case of CDRs, the value in this field refers to the maximum number of call detail blocks (CDBs), which make up CDRs. Multiple CDBs can be created for each call. For more information on individual CDBs, see the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9 Billing Interface Guide.

7

0

Defines the maximum size of the log file in bytes before it is moved to the spool directory. If this value is set to 0, the size of the file is limited only by the disk space available.

8

15

Defines the maximum time, in minutes, the file is allowed to remain open, before it is flushed or moved to the spool directory. If there is no data in the file, it is not flushed when the time limit expires. If this value is set to 0, there is no time limit.

Note Starting with Release 9.3(2), empty alarm log files are no longer archived, and CDR log files are not archived to the standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch. In prior releases, empty alarm log files and CDR log files would be archived on both Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitches.

To configure the dmprSink.dat file fields, use this procedure:

Step 1 Log in to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch and change to the /opt/CiscoMGC/etc directory by entering the following UNIX command:
cd /opt/CiscoMGC/etc
Step 2 Use a text editor, such as vi, to open and edit the dmprSink.dat file fields you want to change.

Note If you are going to use the BAMS to collect CDRs, proceed to the "Configuring the Data Dumper to Support BAMS" section, for information on how to configure the data dumper to support BAMS.

Step 3 Save your changes and exit the text editor.

Step 4 Change to the /opt/CiscoMGC/etc/active_link directory by entering the following UNIX command:
cd /opt/CiscoMGC/etc/active_link/
Step 5 Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the version of dmprSink.dat stored in this directory.

Step 6 If your system uses a continuous service configuration (active and standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitches), perform steps 9, 10, and 11 to update the settings on the standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch and load the new dmprSink.dat settings.

If your system uses a simplex configuration (a single Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch), perform steps 7 and 8 to load the new dmprSink.dat settings.

Step 7 Stop the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software using the procedure described in the "Shutting Down the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Software Manually" section on page 2-4.

Caution Stopping the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software should only be performed while in contact with Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) personnel. See the "Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request" section on page xx for information on contacting the Cisco TAC.

Step 8 Restart the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software using the procedure described in the "Starting the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Software" section on page 2-2. The procedure is complete.

Step 9 Repeat steps 1 through 5 on your standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch.

Step 10 Log on to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, start an MML session and perform a manual switchover as described in the "Performing a Manual Switchover" section on page 3-95.

Warning Switchover operations cause the loss of all SS7 messages transmitted to the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch for approximately three seconds. This affects in-progress as well as new calls.

Step 11 Once the manual switchover is complete, repeat Step 10 on the newly active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch. The procedure is complete.

Configuring the Data Dumper to Support BAMS

If your system is going to be using the Billing and Measurements Server (BAMS) to retrieve CDRs from the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, perform the following procedure to configure the data dumper to support the BAMS:

Step 1 Log into the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch and change to the /opt/CiscoMGC/etc directory by entering the following UNIX command:
cd /opt/CiscoMGC/etc
Step 2 Use a text editor, such as vi, to open the dmprSink.dat file.

Step 3 In the callDetail line of the file, find the following directory path:
"../var/spool"
Step 4 Modify that directory path to point to the /opt/CiscoMGC/var/bam directory, as shown below:
"../var/bam"
Step 5 Save your changes and exit the text editor.

Step 6 Change to the /opt/CiscoMGC/etc/active_link directory by entering the following UNIX command:
cd /opt/CiscoMGC/etc/active_link/
Step 7 Repeat steps 2 through 5 for the version of dmprSink.dat stored in this directory.

Step 8 If your system uses a continuous service configuration (active and standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitches), perform steps 11, 12, and 13 to update the settings on the standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch and load the new dmprSink.dat settings.

If your system uses a simplex configuration (a single Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch), perform steps 9 and 10 to load the new dmprSink.dat settings.

Step 9 Stop the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software using the procedure described in the "Shutting Down the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Software Manually" section on page 2-4.

Caution Stopping the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software should only be performed while in contact with Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) personnel. See the "Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request" section on page xx for information on contacting the Cisco TAC.

Step 10 Restart the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software using the procedure described in the "Starting the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Software" section on page 2-2. The procedure is complete.

Step 11 Repeat steps 1 through 7 on your standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch.

Step 12 Log on to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, start an MML session and perform a manual switchover as described in the "Performing a Manual Switchover" section on page 3-95.

Warning Switchover operations cause the loss of all SS7 messages transmitted to the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch for approximately three seconds. This affects in-progress as well as new calls.

Step 13 Once the manual switchover is complete, repeat Step 10 on the newly active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch. The procedure is complete.

Understanding the Format of Log Files Archived Using Data Dumper

Three log file types are archived in the $BASEDIR/var/spool directory using the data dumper: alarms, measurements, and CDRs. The archive files for alarms and measurements are stored as ASCII text files, and the format of these files is discussed in this section. CDRs are stored as binary files and are not discussed here. The elements of CDR files are discussed in the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9 Billing Interface Guide.

Here is an example of the appearance of the content of an archived alarm file:
0,1012522984,761,1,0,"Failover daemon in INIT state","FOD-01","unknown"
0,1012522989,880,1,0,"Failover daemon in SLAVE state","FOD-01","unknown"
0,1012522991,893,1,1,"Warm Start Initiated","IOCM-01","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,932,0,0,"Excessive bit error ratio detected from frame alignment 
signal","enif1","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,936,0,0,"Excessive bit error ratio detected from frame alignment 
signal","enif2","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,939,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc1","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,939,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc1","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,958,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc2","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,958,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc2","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,975,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc-11","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522992,975,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc-11","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,37,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc-12","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,38,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc-12","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,83,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc-13","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,83,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc-13","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,99,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc-14","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,123,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc-14","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,139,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc-15","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,139,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc-15","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,155,0,0,"Reset Config Failed","dpc-16","IosChanMgr"
0,1012522993,156,1,2,"Point Code Unavailable","dpc-16","IosChanMgr"
Each field is separated by a comma. The content of each field is described in Table A-3.

Table A-3 Archived Alarm File Fields

Field Name

Data Type

Maximum Length

Comments

Release level

Integer

3

Format of records (should be set to 0)

Timestamp (seconds)

Integer

10

Indicates the time, in seconds, since the start of the UNIX internal timer, time of epoch.

Timestamp (milliseconds)

Integer

5

Indicates the time, in milliseconds, since the start of the UNIX internal timer, time of epoch.

State

Integer

1

Used for informational alarms, either 0 for reset or 1 for set.

Severity

Integer

1

Indicates the severity of the alarm, using four levels:

•0—Informational

•1—Minor

•2—Major

•3—Critical

Alarm category

String

80

Text that describes the nature of the alarm. For a list and description of the available alarms, see the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9 Messages Reference.

Component name

String

32

Identifies the component associated with the alarm. See the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9.8 Provisioning Guide for more information on components.

Originator

String

32

Identifies the service that set or cleared this alarm.

Here is an example of the appearance of the content of an archived measurement file:
0,1012013100,900,0,"messages","SP: cInit out","ss7svc11"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss3-118"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss3-119"
0,1012013100,900,0,"messages","SP: cInit out","ss7svc5"
0,1012013100,900,0,"messages","SP: cInit out","ss7svc8"
0,1012013100,900,0,"messages","SP: cInit out","ss7svc9"
0,1012013100,900,0,"messages","SP: cInit out","ss7svc10"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-2"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","tg-4166"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-3"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","tg-4165"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-4"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-5"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","tg-4164"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","tg-4162"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-6"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","tg-4163"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-7"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-8"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-9"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-10"
0,1012013100,900,0,"occurrances","ACC: CALL REJ","hcss4-11"
0,1012013100,300,0,"occurrances","ISUP: CHAN MATE UNAVAILABLE","ss7svc4"
Each field is separated by a comma. The content of each field is described in Table A-4.

Table A-4 Archived Measurement File Fields

Field Name

Data Type

Maximum Length

Comments

Release level

Integer

3

Format of records (should be set to 0).

Timestamp (seconds)

Integer

10

Indicates the time, in seconds, since the start of the UNIX internal timer, time of epoch.

Time interval (seconds)

Integer

5

Duration of the collection interval.

Measurement value

Integer

10

Value of the measurement.

Measurement units

String

32

Units for which the measurement is recorded.

Measurement category

String

32

Text that describes the nature of the measurement. For a list and description of the available measurement, see Appendix D, "Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Measurements."

Component name

String

32

Identifies the component associated with the alarm. See the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9.8 Provisioning Guide for more information on components.