Server Administrator allows you view and manage hardware, alert, and command logs. All users can access logs and print reports from either the Server Administrator home page or from its command line interface. Users must be logged in with Administrator privileges to clear logs or must be logged in with Administrator or Power User privileges to e-mail logs to their designated service contact.
See the Dell™ OpenManage™ Server Administrator Command Line Interface User's Guide for information about viewing logs and creating reports from the command line.
When viewing Server Administrator logs, you can click Help on the global navigation bar for more detailed information about the specific window you are viewing. Server Administrator log help is available for all windows accessible to the user based on user privilege level and the specific hardware and software groups that Server Administrator discovers on the managed system.
Integrated Features
Clicking a column heading sorts by the column or changes the sort direction of the column. Additionally, each log window contains several task buttons that can be used for managing and supporting your system.
Log Window Task Buttons
Click Print to print a copy of the log to your default printer.
Click Export to save a text file containing the log data (with the values of each data field separated by a customizable delimiter) to a destination you specify.
Click Email to create an e-mail message that includes the log content as an attachment.
Click Clear Log to erase all events from the log.
Click Save As to save the log content in a .zip file.
Click Refresh to reload the log content in the action window data area.
See "Task Buttons" for additional information about using the task buttons.
Use the hardware log to look for potential problems with your system's hardware components. On Dell PowerEdge™ x8xx and x9xx systems, the hardware log status indicator will change to critical status (
) when the log file reaches 100 percent capacity. There are two available hardware logs, depending on your system: the Embedded System Management (ESM) log and the System Event Log (SEL). The ESM log and SEL are each a set of embedded instructions that can send hardware status messages to systems management software. Each component listed in the logs has a status indicator icon next to its name. A green check mark (
) indicates that a component is healthy (normal). A yellow triangle containing an exclamation point (
) indicates that a component has a warning (noncritical) condition and requires prompt attention. A red X (
) indicates that a component has a failure (critical) condition and requires immediate attention. A blank space (
) indicates that a component's health status is unknown.
To access the hardware log, click System, click the Logs tab, and click Hardware.
Information displayed in the ESM and SEL logs includes:
The severity level of the event
The date and time that the event was captured
A description of the event
Maintaining the Hardware Log
The status indicator icon next to the log name on the Server Administrator homepage will change from normal status (
) to noncritical status (
) when the log file reaches 80 percent capacity. Be sure to clear the hardware log when it reaches 80 percent capacity. If the log is allowed to reach 100 percent capacity, the latest events are discarded from the log.
Alert Log
NOTE: If the Alert log displays invalid XML data (for example, when the XML data generated for the selection is not well formed), click Clear Log and then redisplay the log information.
Use the Alert log to monitor various system events. The Server Administrator generates events in response to changes in the status of sensors and other monitored parameters. Each status change event recorded in the Alert log consists of a unique identifier called the event ID for a specific event source category and an event message that describes the event. The event ID and message uniquely describe the severity and cause of the event and provide other relevant information such as the location of the event and the monitored component's previous state.
To access the Alert log, click System, click the Logs tab, and click Alert.
Information displayed in the Alert log includes:
The severity level of the event
The event ID
The date and time that the event was captured
The category of the event
A description of the event
NOTE: The log history may be required for future troubleshooting and diagnostic purposes. Therefore, it is recommended that you save the log files.
See the Server Administrator Messages Reference Guide for detailed information about alert messages.
Command Log
NOTE: If the Command log displays invalid XML data (for example, when XML data generated for the selection is not well formed), click Clear Log and then redisplay the log information.
Use the Command log to monitor all of the commands issued by Server Administrator users. The Command log tracks logins, logouts, systems management software initialization, and shutdowns initiated by systems management software, and records the last time the log was cleared. The size of the command log file can be specified as per your requirement.
To access the Command log, click System, click the Logs tab, and click Command.
Information displayed in the Command log includes:
The date and time that the command was invoked
The user that is currently logged in to the Server Administrator home page or the CLI
A description of the command and its related values
NOTE: The log history may be required for future troubleshooting and diagnostic purposes. Therefore, it is recommended that you save the log files.
) when the log file reaches 100 percent capacity. There are two available hardware logs, depending on your system: the Embedded System Management (ESM) log and the System Event Log (SEL). The ESM log and SEL are each a set of embedded instructions that can send hardware status messages to systems management software. Each component listed in the logs has a status indicator icon next to its name. A green check mark (
) indicates that a component is healthy (normal). A yellow triangle containing an exclamation point (
) indicates that a component has a warning (noncritical) condition and requires prompt attention. A red X (
) indicates that a component has a failure (critical) condition and requires immediate attention. A blank space (
) indicates that a component's health status is unknown.
) to noncritical status (
) when the log file reaches 80 percent capacity. Be sure to clear the hardware log when it reaches 80 percent capacity. If the log is allowed to reach 100 percent capacity, the latest events are discarded from the log. 