[Offtopic] Re: Error message Solaris 8 /var/adm/messages

[David Collier-Brown]

   This looks like a status message... The normal format for syslog is

Date/time       Host   App[pid]        [importance]
--------------- ------ --------------- -------------
May  3 04:04:58 froggy sendmail[1220]: [ID 801593 mail.crit]

   Free-form string
   --------------------
  k4384vOq001219: SYSERR(root): Cannot open hash database /etc/mail/aliases.db: Invalid argument

This example is a failure message from sendfail(8).


You saw:
Date/time       Host      App   Free-form string
--------------- ------    ----  ----------------
Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix: st32:     <Sun DLT7000>
Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix: st32 at SUNW,fas1:
Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix:  target 4 lun 0
Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix: st32 is /sbus at 7,0/SUNW,fas at 3,8800000/st at 4,0

Note the optional pis and importance strings are missing and
the app is unix. It's therefor an unimportant message from the kernel.


I interpret your messages as follows:
   "Hi. I'm scsi tape st32, target 4 lun 0 on scsi chain 1, aka
device st4 on sbus interface 7. I'm doing some work, and thought I
should mention it. I'm not going to tel you what it is, though,
nyaa, nyaa, nyaa"

   If you have a filter for syslog errors, I'd try training it to
capture the sequence and, if and ONLY if it's followed by additional
messages, like
	Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix: st32 is on file
to spit out the while sequence into your email.

Otherwise it should ignore it.

[On-topic]
You should have a smart recognizer for samba logs, too, with a similar
behavior (;-))

--dave




Ben Dore wrote:
> David,
> 
>  
> 
> I'm trying to find out why st32 type errors keep arriving in
> /var/adm/messages (and are sent almost every day to my inbox by a Log
> Alert auto email).
> 
>  
> 
> Can you tell me if there's a problem with the tape device or can you
> give me a link where I should post this request?
> 
>  
> 
> About 3 times a week I'm seeing this, just after the backup to tape
> starts and one second before it finishes.
> 
>  
> 
> /var/adm/messages:Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix: st32:     <Sun
> DLT7000>
> 
> /var/adm/messages:Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix: st32 at SUNW,fas1:
> 
> /var/adm/messages:Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix:  target 4 lun 0
> /var/adm/messages:Jul  6 06:34:52 ukpsprod1 unix: st32 is
> /sbus at 7,0/SUNW,fas at 3,8800000/st at 4,0
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Ben Dore
> 
> m: +44 (0) 7980 788386
> 
> e: ben.dore at cedarconsulting.co.uk
> 
> Cedar Consulting 
> 
>  
> 
> www.cedarconsulting.co.uk <http://www.cedarconsulting.co.uk/>  
> 3a Waterside Park | Cookham Road 
> Bracknell | Berkshire | RG12 1RB | UK 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 

-- 
David Collier-Brown,         | Always do right. This will gratify
System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest
davecb at spamcop.net           |                      -- Mark Twain
(416) 223-5943