WebSphere Application Server Network Deployment, Version 6.0.x     Operating Systems: AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Solaris, Windows

What is new for troubleshooters

This version provides many new features for troubleshooting and servicing the product.

New The biggest change in troubleshooting support and serviceability is increased ability to automatically detect and recover from problems. The troubleshooting section has been revamped and expanded to include extensive support information, including the ability to search live, Web-based support resources by using the customized query fields in the "Web search" page.

Many serviceability improvements are described in the IBM Education Assistant presentation: Serviceability enhancements.

New troubleshooting technology on the Support site
   
Support assistant With the IBM Support Assistant, creating and sending an effective problem report is quicker and easier; and customer self-help is more effective. It enables you to:
  • Search multiple IBM and non-IBM locations to for the most pertinent support information
  • Obtain quick access to appropriate IBM resources such as product pages, support pages and news groups
  • Submit IBM service requests by collecting and adding the system data IBM Support needs to analyze the software problem

See Getting IBM® Support Assistant.

   
Improved message text, new message prefixes Messages for key product components used during installation, migration, and initial configuration have been improved. Additional components have messages now. Message prefixes have changed. The message reference provides a mapping of Version 5.1.x prefixes to Version 6.0.x prefixes.
   
Java logging framework from JSR47 is exploited In J2SE 1.4, the Java logging framework was introduced via JSR47. In WebSphere Application Server, messages and trace logged to both JRAS and JSR47 logging APIs are passed into the JSR47 logging infrastructure. This allows JSR47 Handlers connected to the root JSR47 Logger to receive all WebSphere Application Server log content. JSR47 and JRAS Logger levels can be controlled via the admin console troubleshooting section. WebSphere Application Server also builds its logs from the JSR47 framework by connecting its Handlers to the root Logger.

The JSR47 Logging infrastructure allows for flexible pluggability of custom Handlers into the logging infrastructure to enable custom logs. By appropriate configuration, the Handlers can receive WebSphere Application Server's logged events, and events logged to Loggers instantiated by your applications.

See Log and trace with Java logging.

   
[Version 6.0.2]Support for Jakarta Commons Logging is added [Version 6.0.2]Jakarta Commons Logging provides a simple logging interface and thin wrappers for several logging systems. WebSphere Application Server version 6.0.2 supports Jakarta Commons Logging by providing a logger, a thin wrapper for the WebSphere Application Server logging facility. The logger can handle both Java Logging (JSR47) and Common Base Event (CBE) logging objects.

The WebSphere Application Server support for Jakarta Commons Logging does not change interfaces defined by Jakarta Commons Logging.

See Configuring applications to use Jakarta Commons Logging.

   
[Version 6.0.2]Improved ability to manage recovery from failure [Version 6.0.2]To prevent the assignment of new work to an application server that is going through its transaction recovery process, restart the application server in recovery mode.

See Restarting an application server in recovery mode.

   
[Version 6.0.2]More diagnostic data is captured when failures occur [Version 6.0.2]The first failure data capture (FFDC) feature preserves the information that is generated from a processing failure and returns control to the affected engines. The captured data is saved in a log file for analyzing the problem. FFDC is intended primarily for use by IBM Service.

See Configuring first failure data capture log file purges.

   
[Version 6.0.2]More support for troubleshooting memory leak problems [Version 6.0.2]

To help you analyze memory leak problems when memory leak detection occurs, some automated heap dump generation support is available.

See Enabling automated heap dump generation.

WebSphere Application Server has implemented a lightweight memory leak detection mechanism that runs within the WebSphere Runtime Performance Advisor framework. This mechanism is designed to provide early detection of memory problems in test and production environments. This framework is not designed to provide analysis of the source of the problem, but rather to provide notification and help generating the information that is required to use analysis tools. The mechanism only detects memory leaks in the Java heap and does not detect native leaks.

See Enabling the lightweight memory leak detection.

   
[Version 6.0.2]Class Loader Viewer [Version 6.0.2]Class loaders find and load class files. For a deployed application to run properly, the class loaders that affect the application and its modules must be configured so that the application can find the files and resources that it needs. Diagnosing problems with class loaders can be complicated and time-consuming. To help you diagnose and fix problems more quickly, version 6.0.2 provides the administrative console Class Loader Viewer. Use the Class Loader Viewer to examine class loaders and the classes loaded by each class loader.
Restriction: The Class Loader Viewer is not available on the J9 Java virtual machine, which includes the AMD 64-bit platforms.

See Troubleshooting class loaders.

   
JRAS is deprecated The JRAS API is deprecated. Users are directed to use the JSR47 logging infrastructure instead. See Deprecated and removed features for more information about this and other deprecated items.
   
Common Base Events describe system situations Common Base Events are data structures used to describe situations that occur in the system. Common Base Events are used for various purposes, including representing things such as business events, configuration events, error events, and so on. The WebSphere Application Server now uses Common Base Events as the internal representation of logged messages.

Common Base Events are logged via JSR47 and as such can be received and operated on from JSR47 Handlers. Handlers which are not programmed to the Common Base Event specification will also be able to consume these events as CommonBaseEventLogRecords. Handlers which are programmed to the Common Base Event specification can take advantage of fields within the Common Base Events.

See The Common Base Event in WebSphere Application Server.

   
Thread names can be included in logs Thread name has been added to the Advanced log format and Log Analyzer format. The Log Analyzer format preserves trace information in the text format output of the Showlog tool. Log Analyzer is deprecated in WebSphere Application Server Version 6.1. The advanced log format is available as an output format for the trace log and system out log. The thread name is now included in this format to enable easier correlation with other types of diagnostic data. The log analyzer format is available as an output format for the trace log. The thread name is now included in this format to enable easier correlation with other types of diagnostic data.
   
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Last updated: Dec 11, 2005 4:07:15 PM CST
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