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The system uses a series of logs as the central collection point for information flowing from the system. These logs provide a systemwide view of activities, errors, and alarms. Reviewing the logs allows a system administrator to reach a quick understanding of overall system status, leading to efficient and effective maintenance and troubleshooting.
Types of logs
Messages in the logs range in importance from informational to critical. The logs vary based on audience (login type) and information type. The current system uses the following logs:
- Administration history log: Identifies administrative events that occur on your system such as logins, reports that were run, or changes to software. See Administration history log for more information.
- Administrator's log: Records informational messages and administration-related alarms that could require some action by the system administrator. These messages might simply log a successful nightly backup, or they could alert the system administrator that the system is low on disk space. See Administrator's log for more information.
- Alarm log: Signals a service-affecting or potentially service-affecting problem with the system. The alarm log records major, minor, and warning alarms generated by the system. The system automatically notifies a designated services support agency of all major and minor alarms by using the modem if the system is registered with a remote service center. The customer is responsible for resolving all warning alarms. See Alarm log for more information.
- Backup and restore logs: These logs contain a list of all the files that were backed up or restored, information about any errors that occurred during the operation, and whether or not the backup or restore operation completed successfully. See Backup log and restore log for more information.
- Maintenance log: Records error occurrences, error resolutions, and informational events that can help services personnel troubleshoot an alarm. See Maintenance log for more information.
- Software installation and removal log: Contains information about the installation, update, and removal of software packages. See Viewing the installation/removal logs for more information.
Methods of alarming supported
Message Networking supports two types of alarming:
- The Avaya Initialization and Administration System (INADS). This type of alarming requires a modem connection to a remote service center.
- A corporate Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) system. If SNMP alarming is used, it is the responsibility of the customer to provide and provision the corporate SNMP network management system (NMS) that will monitor the Message Networking system for alarm notifications (traps), and to configure it to receive (and optionally acknowledge) the traps generated by the Message Networking system. See SNMP overview for more information on SNMP.
Note: If SNMP alarming is used, INADS alarming must be disabled using the Alarm Management page.
For each type of alarming, the customer can specify:
- The conditions for sending an alarm notification
- The alarm level at which notification will be sent (minor or major)
- The system behavior for stopping Message Networking service
Alarm operation
The system records problems it detects in the maintenance log. The system then attempts to diagnose and isolate those problems and can send an alarm to the alarm log if it cannot correct the error automatically.
The contents of the alarm log represent all of the significant problems the system detects. Therefore, it is the starting point for troubleshooting the system. The alarm log contains two types of entries:
- Active alarms: Indicate a current problem in the system.
- Resolved alarms: Show alarms that have been corrected either automatically or through a repair procedure.
Three alarm levels indicate the severity of an alarm:
- Major alarms: Indicate problems that could affect key system components or features. For example, if more than 25% of the voice ports are out of service, a major alarm is generated. Major alarms are repairable by technicians.
- Minor alarms: Indicate problems that could affect full service but are not critical to system operation. For example, if a network connection occurs, a warning alarm appears. Minor alarms are repairable by technicians.
- Warning alarms: Indicate problems that could potentially affect system service if not resolved. For example, if the customer system administrator does not create a trusted server password and a trusted server tries to log in, a warning alarm is generated. Warning alarms are repairable by the customer.
When an active alarm is corrected, its status changes from "active" to "resolved."
Alarm notification
Viewing the administrator's log and the alarm log on a daily basis is the best way to be informed of new entries. Active alarms (alarms that have not been resolved) and new entries to the administrator's log are noted on the Status web page.
The Status web page shows multiple levels of alarms. The alarm level is important because it classifies problems within the system so that the most severe are worked on first. In most cases, the alarm level also marks the area between the responsibility of the system administrator (warning alarms) and the responsibility of the remote service center (major and minor alarms).
The system uses the following abbreviations to identify alarm status:
- M: major alarm
- m: minor alarm
- w: warning alarm
- A: new or unviewed entries in the Administrator's Log
- none: no alarms or unviewed log entries
If you see M, m, or w, look in the Alarm Log for the alarm. You could have more than one alarm on the system. If you see A, look in the Administrator's Log. Alarms are documented in the Alarm Log and the Administrator's Log. Depending on the nature of an alarm, it can be documented in either the Alarm Log, the Administrator's Log, or both logs.
The system changes the value in the Alarms: field when the alarm is resolved. After you view the Administrator's Log, the system clears the A from the Alarms: field, even if you do not correct any reported problems.
Alarm resolution (INADS only)
If the customer purchases a maintenance service contract and activates the alarm origination feature, the system automatically sends major and minor alarms to a remote service center for correction. Warning alarms are not sent to a remote service center. Warning alarms must be corrected by the system administrator by using the procedures detailed in Alarms.
Remote service center (INADS only)
The Remote Maintenance Board (RMB) available on the S3400-H uses a modem to establish a point-to-point protocol (PPP) connection between the Message Networking system and an Avaya remote service center, or an alternative services support agency. The modem used is internal for domestic (United States) systems, or external in other countries. The RMB's modem requires an external, direct telephone line or a direct inward dialing (DID) line through the telephony system. The RMB uses this line to report alarms to the services support agency. The remote service center establishes a dialup connection to the RMB over this same line to help maintain and troubleshoot the system.
Caution! The only dialup access to the message server is through the same line that is used for alarm notification. The system cannot report any new alarms while this line is in use. The dialup connection should be used only for services support of the system, not for routine administration.
See the Remote Maintenance Board (RMB) CYN23AP and CYN24AP PCI Version Release 1.0 Reference (585-310-263, 2.8 MB pdf) for more information. This document is available to certified personnel through the Avaya web site.
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