Alerts and logging

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The library sends alerts about the library and attached tape drives, and offers audit-logging to track user actions.

  • TapeAlert Support: The tape library is compatible with TapeAlert technology, which provides error and diagnostic information about the drives and the library to the host application. The library provides this error and diagnostic information as TapeAlert flags that are reported to the application by the SCSI LOG SENSE command. See TapeAlert flags.
  • Email (SMTP - Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) Notifications: The library can configure email notification of library events. The library must have network access to an SMTP server. See Locating Management functions.
  • Remote Logging (rsyslog): The library can send syslog (system log) notifications to a configured remote (rsyslog) server. When system events occur, the TS4300 tape library creates a log of these events. With this notification feature configured, the library sends a notification of the event to the syslog server. The syslog server keeps its own log of system events. (The syslog server is a customer-provided server.) See Locating Management functions.
  • SNMP Support: The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) allows the library to send alerts over a LAN network to a monitoring server.

    Occasionally, the library might encounter situations that you want to know about. These situations can be conditions that affect the library performance, such as an open door that causes the library to stop. You might also want to log user actions, such as a cartridge move or export that is initiated from the Management GUI. SNMP messages can alert you of these conditions.

    The library provides a standard TCP/IP protocol that is called SNMP to send alerts about conditions over a TCP/IP LAN network to an SNMP monitoring server. These alerts are called SNMP traps. Using the information that is supplied in each SNMP trap, the monitoring server (together with customer-supplied software) can alert operations staff of possible problems or operator interventions that occur. Many monitoring servers can be used to send email or pager notifications when they receive an SNMP alert. See the manual for your network management application.

    The monitoring server must be loaded with systems management software that can receive and process the trap. SNMP supports a get and get-response mechanism for an operator to gather more information about a problem or query the library about its status. Through a monitoring server, the operator enters a "get" using SNMP to request information about the library. A get-response is the information that is provided in response to the get. This type of support generally requires an up-to-date library Management Information Base (MIB). The SNMP server's MIB contains units of information that specifically describe an aspect of a system, such as the system name, hardware number, or communications configuration.

    IBM provides the MIBs that are supported by the library. They include
    • IBM TS4300 MIB
      Type of information:
      • The status of each drive in the library
      • A list of all cartridges in the library
      • The last trap or TapeAlert message that was sent by the library.
    • IBM AUTOMATION QUERY MIB
      Type of information:
      • Library configuration
    The library MIBs can be obtained through the SNMP Notifications Settings page on the Management GUI. See Locating Management functions. An operator cannot change library settings by using SNMP. Settings are changed by using the Management GUI.

    SNMP Notification Levels

    SNMP provides various levels of notification about specific library events and user actions.
    • Inactive – No events are sent.
    • Critical – Only critical events are sent.
    • + Warnings – Only critical and warning events are sent.
    • + Configuration – Only critical, warning, and configuration events are sent.
    • + Information – All events are sent.

    Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) audit logging provides logging information about specific tape library user actions. To configure SNMP, see Locating Management functions.