Managing the System Event Log

This chapter includes the following sections:

System Event Log

The system event log (SEL) resides on the CIMC in NVRAM. It records most server-related events, such as over and under voltage, temperature events, fan events, and events from BIOS. The SEL is mainly used for troubleshooting purposes.

The SEL file is approximately 40KB in size, and no further events can be recorded when it is full. It must be cleared before additional events can be recorded.

You can use the SEL policy to backup the SEL to a remote server, and optionally clear the SEL after a backup operation occurs. Backup operations can be triggered based on specific actions, or they can occur at regular intervals. You can also manually backup or clear the SEL.

The backup file is automatically generated. The filename format is sel-SystemName-ChassisID-ServerID-ServerSerialNumber-Timestamp; for example, sel-UCS-A-ch01-serv01-QCI12522939-20091121160736.

Viewing the System Event Log for an Individual Server

Procedure
    Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
    Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Chassis > Chassis Number > Servers.
    Step 3   Click the server for which you want to view the system event log.
    Step 4   In the Work pane, click the SEL Logs tab.

    Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the list of events.

    Viewing the System Event Log for the Servers in a Chassis

    Procedure
      Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
      Step 2   On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Chassis > Chassis_Name .
      Step 3   In the Work pane, click the SEL Logs tab.

      Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the list of events.
      Step 4   In the Server table, click the server for which you want to view the system event log.

      Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the list of events.

      Configuring the SEL Policy

      Procedure
        Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Equipment tab.
        Step 2   On the Equipment tab, click the Equipment node.
        Step 3   In the Work pane, click the Policies tab.
        Step 4   Click the SEL Policy subtab.
        Step 5   (Optional) In the General area, type a description of the policy in the Description field.

        The other fields in this area are read-only.
        Step 6   In the Backup Configuration area, complete the following fields:
        Name Description

        Protocol field

        The protocol to use when communicating with the remote server. This can be one of the following:

        Hostname field

        The hostname or IP address of the server on which the backup configuration resides. If you use a hostname rather than an IP address, you must configure a DNS server in Cisco UCS Manager.

        Note   

        The name of the backup file is generated by Cisco UCS. The name is in the following format:

        sel-system-name-chchassis-id-
servblade-id-blade-serial
-timestamp

        Remote Path field

        The absolute path to the file on the remote server, if required.

        If you use SCP, the absolute path is always required. If you use any other protocol, you may not need to specify a remote path if the file resides in the default download folder. For details about how your file server is configured, contact your system administrator.

        Backup Interval drop-down list

        The time to wait between automatic backups. This can be one of the following:

        • Never—Do not perform any automatic SEL data backups.
        • 1 Hour
        • 2 Hours
        • 4 Hours
        • 8 Hours
        • 24 Hours
        Note   

        If you want the system to create automatic backups, make sure you check the Timer check box in the Action option box.

        Format field

        The format to use for the backup file. This can be one of the following:

        • Ascii
        • Binary

        Clear on Backup check box

        If checked, Cisco UCS clears all system event logs after the backup.

        User field

        The username the system should use to log in to the remote server. This field does not apply if the protocol is TFTP.

        Password field

        The password for the remote server username. This field does not apply if the protocol is TFTP.

        Action option box

        For each box that is checked, then the system creates a SEL backup when that event is encountered:

        • Log Full—The log reaches the maximum size allowed.
        • On Change of Association—The association between a server and its service profile changes.
        • On Clear—The user manually clears a system event log.
        • Timer—The time interval specified in the Backup Interval drop-down list is reached.

        Reset Configuration button

        Click this button to reset the background configuration information.
        Step 7   Click Save Changes.

        Managing the System Event Log for a Server

        Copying One or More Entries in the System Event Log

        This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

        Procedure
          Step 1   After Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, use your mouse to highlight the entry or entries that you want to copy from the system event log.
          Step 2   Click Copy to copy the highlighted text to the clipboard.
          Step 3   Paste the highlighted text into a text editor or other document.

          Printing the System Event Log

          This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

          Procedure
            Step 1   After Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Print.
            Step 2   In the Print dialog box, do the following:
            1. Optional: Modify the default printer or any other fields or options.
            2. Click Print.

            Refreshing the System Event Log

            This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

            Procedure
            After Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Refresh.

            Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the updated list of events.

            Manually Backing Up the System Event Log

            This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

            Before You Begin

            Configure the system event log policy. The manual backup operation uses the remote destination configured in the system event log policy.

            Procedure
            After Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Backup.

            Cisco UCS Manager backs up the system event log to the location specified in the SEL policy.

            Manually Clearing the System Event Log

            This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

            Procedure
            After Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Clear.
            Note   

            This action triggers an automatic backup if Clear is enabled in the SEL policy Action option box.