logs(F)


logs -- MMDF log files: system status, error, and statistics logging for MMDF

Description

MMDF maintains runtime log files at several levels of activity. The primary distinction is among message-level, channel-level, and link-level information. All logging settings can be specified using MMDF configuration parameters (see mmdftailor(F)). The default location for log files is /usr/mmdf/log. Logs are protected so that any process may write into them, but only MMDF may read them (that is, 0622).

The logging files are somewhat complex; three critical factors are coordinated access, restricted file length, and restricted verbosity.

The length of a logging file can be limited to 25-block units. This is extremely important because files can grow very long over a period of time, especially if there are many long messages sent or very verbose logging.

Restricted verbosity using the logging level setting is a way of easily tuning the amount of text entered into the log. This is probably the one parameter you need to be most concerned about. When the logging level is set to highest verbosity (level=FTR), MMDF becomes noticeably slower and I/O bound. However, this level also shows what MMDF is doing, and helps you to discern the source of errors. When you are used to the log codes, setting the logging level down is highly recommended. The lowest log level is FAT, for fatal errors. TMP logs temporary errors. GEN logs errors and general information. FST logs errors, general and statistics information.

See the description of MCHANLOG in mmdftailor(F).

Specific logs

Even with the listed divisions, the logs contain a variety of information. Only the message-level log's format will be explained in significant detail.

msg.log
records enqueue and dequeue transitions, by submit and deliver. Entries by a background deliver process are noted with a ``BG-xxxx'' tag, where the x's contain the 4 least-significant decimal digits of the daemon's process id. This is to allow distinguishing of different daemons. When deliver is invoked by submit for an immediate attempt, the tag begins with ``DL'' rather than ``BG''. Entries by submit begin with ``submit''.

Every major entry will indicate the name of the message involved. Entries from submit will show ``lin'' if the submission is from a user on the local machine. In this case, the end of the entry will show the login name of the sender. If the entry is labeled ``rin,'' then the mail is being relayed. The channel name, source host, and sender address are shown. Within parentheses, the number of addressees and the byte-length of the message are listed.

Entries from deliver show final disposition of a message/addressee. These are indicated by ``end.'' Then, there is the destination channel and mailbox name. In brackets, the queue latency for the address is shown in hours, seconds, and minutes.


chan.log
records activity by the channel programs, in chndfldir[]. Entries have a tag indicating the type of channel making the entry. Different channels record different sorts of information. For example, the local channel shows when a rcvmail private reception program is invoked.

auth.log
records information about authorization, if it is enabled.

See also

mmdf(ADM), mmdftailor(F)

Standards conformance

MMDF is not part of any currently supported standard; it was developed at the University of Delaware and is used with permission.
© 2005 The SCO Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
SCO OpenServer Release 6.0.0 -- 03 June 2005