Checking for errors in the server activity log

Edit online

If a scheduled event is missed but other consecutive scheduled events for that node show a result of Completed, check for errors in the server activity log and the client schedule log.

When you are checking the server activity log, narrow the query results down to the time frame around the scheduled event. Begin the event log query at a time shortly before the start window of the scheduled event in question. For example, investigate the following suspect event:
Scheduled Start Actual Start Schedule Name Node Name Status
-------------------- -------------------- ------------- ------------- -------
08/21/2003 08:27:33 HOURLY NODEA Missed
Afterward you can issue one of the following queries:
query actlog begind=08/21/2003 begint=08:25:00
query actlog begind=08/21/2003 begint=08:25:00 originator=client node=nodea

The client keeps a detailed log of all scheduled activities. Check the client's local schedule log if queries of the server's activity log cannot explain a failed scheduled event.

You must have access to the client computer to inspect the schedule log file. The schedule log is typically saved to the dsmsched.log file, and is typically stored in the same directory as the dsmerror.log file. The location of the log file can be specified by using client options, so you might refer to the options file to see whether the SCHEDLOGNAME option was used to relocate the log file. On Windows, the schedule log can also be relocated by an option setting that is part of the schedule service definition. You can issue the DSMCUTIL QUERY command to check whether this option was set. When you locate the schedule log, search through the file to find the time period corresponding with the start date and time of the scheduled event in question. The following list shows common search parameters:
  • If you are investigating a missed event, check the details of the previous event, including the time at which the previous event finished.
  • If you are investigating a failed event, look for error messages that explain the failure (such as the server session limit being exceeded).
  • When an explanation is still not clear, the last place to check is the client's error log file (typically named dsmerror.log).