Log Analyzer auto-diagnoses WebSphere Application Server problems
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Abstract
Log Analyzer provides interactive interface to WebSphere activity log and contains on-line diagnoses and resolutions to known problems
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Overview
The Log Analyzer, is a separately downloaded feature of WebSphere 3.5.2 and later (it is now bundled with WebSphere 4.0x. 4.0+ and 5.0 users do not need to download the the tool). It is designed to assist customers in diagnosing and resolving common runtime problems.
Starting the Log Analyzer in Windows
Windows users may launch it manually with the command <WebSphere Root>\bin\waslogbr
Starting the Log Analyzer in Unix
1. Change directory to <serverRoot>/bin; and
2. Invoke shell script waslogbr
./waslogbr
The Log Analyzer is a GUI application, so Unix users will need to launch it from a machine with a CDE-type environment, or export the display to a GUI client platform.
Using the Log Analyzer
Once the tool has opened, use the File->open menu item, and select the file <websphere install root>/logs/activity.log. (You can also browse to activity.logs which customers have sent you.) Expand the tree of WebSphere admin and app server logging sessions. Uncolored records are "normal", yellow are warnings, and pink are errors. If you select a record, you'll see its contents, including the basic error or warning message, date, time, which WebSphere component logged the record, and which process (i.e., admin server or an app server) it came from, in the upper-right hand pane.
The Log Analyzer does not analyze any other log files, such as default_stderr.log or tracefile.
To analyze the records, right click on a record in the tree on the left (click on the "UnitOfWorkView" at the top to get 'em all), and select "analyze". Now any records with a green check mark next to them match a record in the symptom database. When you select a check-marked record, you'll see and explanation of the problem in the lower-right-hand pane.
Updating the symptom database
The database of known problems and resolutions -- used by WebSphere when you click the "analyze" menu item -- is periodically enhanced as new problems come to light and new versions of WebSphere are introduced. To ensure that you have the latest version of the database, use the "file -> update database -> advanced symptom database" menu item from within the log analyzer tool. A good rule of thumb would be to do this at least once a month. Users who have just installed the product and have never run the update should do so immediately, since extensive updates have been made since the tool was released.
Prerequisites
WebSphere Application Server 3.5.2 or later, or WebSphere Application Server 4.x
Installation instructions
See link for download and installation instructions. Only 3.52+ users need to download the tool; it is installed with 4.x.