Running the Log Forwarder

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To start the Z Common Data Provider Log Forwarder, you use the Log Forwarder started task. If you are collecting NetView® for z/OS® message data, the NetView message provider must also be active. The NetView message provider is started as a started task by using the REXX module HBONETV.

Before you begin

Create the Log Forwarder started task, as described in Customizing the Log Forwarder started task to collect z/OS log data.

If you configure a NetView Netlog data stream for gathering NetView for z/OS message data, also configure the NetView message provider to monitor and forward NetView for z/OS messages to the Log Forwarder, as described in Preparing to collect NetView log data. You can start the REXX module HBONETV from the command line of an existing NetView user ID, or create a new NetView user ID to support the running of this REXX module. Always start the NetView message provider after the Log Forwarder is started for the first time.

If you configure a z/OS SYSLOG data stream for gathering z/OS SYSLOG data from a user exit, you must install either the HBOSYSG or HBOMDBG user exit, as described in Installing the user exit for collecting z/OS SYSLOG data.

About this task

You use z/OS console commands to control the operation of the Log Forwarder, including to start, stop, or view status or configuration information for Log Forwarder data streams.

For more information about Log Forwarder data streams, including the correlation between the sources from which the Log Forwarder gathers data and the data streams that can be defined for those sources, see Configuration reference for data gathered by Log Forwarder.

Troubleshooting tip:
  • After the Log Forwarder is started, it should not stop until you stop it. If it does stop without your stopping it explicitly, review the Log Forwarder job log output for possible errors.
  • When migrating to the new Log Forwarder PROC, it is important to pick one way and not to mix the JCL. It is recommended to use the new PROC for all new jobs. Mixing the old and new JCL can lead to unpredictable results.

Procedure

  1. To operate the Log Forwarder, run the following console commands, where procname represents the name of the started task (such as HBOPROC).
    Action z/OS console command
    Start the Log Forwarder Issue one of the following console commands:
    Warm start
    START procname

    A warm start resumes data collection where it previously stopped.

    Cold start
    START procname,OPT=-C

    A cold start starts data collection anew. Any operational data that was written while the Log Forwarder was stopped is not collected.

    Tip: If the Log Forwarder is shut down for more than a few minutes, you might want to use cold start mode to avoid having to wait for the Log Forwarder to collect accumulated data.
    Stop the Log Forwarder 
    STOP procname
    Refresh the Log Forwarder 
    MODIFY procname,APPL=REFRESH
    Tip: After you run this command, the configuration is reloaded and the Log Forwarder is restarted.
    View the status of all known Log Forwarder data streams 
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,LIST
    Start, stop, or view the status or configuration information for an individual data stream Table 1 lists the commands, which vary depending on the source of the data stream.
    Table 1. z/OS console commands for starting, stopping, or viewing status or configuration information for individual Log Forwarder data streams
    Source of data stream z/OS console commands for controlling a data stream from this source
    Job log
    Start the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,JOBNAME=jobname,DDNAME=ddname
    Stop the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,JOBNAME=jobname,DDNAME=ddname
    View the status of the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,JOBNAME=jobname,DDNAME=ddname
    View the configuration information for the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,JOBNAME=jobname,DDNAME=ddname
    Usage note: If you used wildcard characters in the job name when you defined the data stream, the values of the JOBNAME and DDNAME parameters in these commands must reference the specific instance of the job log data stream. For example, you must specify JOB0011 or JOB0021 rather than JOB*1.
    z/OS UNIX log file
    Start the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,UNIXFILEPATH='UNIXfilepath'
    Stop the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,UNIXFILEPATH='UNIXfilepath'
    View the status of the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,UNIXFILEPATH='UNIXfilepath'
    View the configuration information for the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,UNIXFILEPATH='UNIXfilepath'
    Usage note: To prevent an error message, the UNIX file path must be enclosed in quotation marks.
    Entry-sequenced VSAM cluster
    Start the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,DATASET=dataset
    Stop the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,DATASET=dataset
    View the status of the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,DATASET=dataset
    View the configuration information for the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,DATASET=dataset
    Usage note: dataset represents the name of the data set.
    z/OS SYSLOG
    Start the data stream
    • From the user exit:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,SYSLOG
    • From OPERLOG:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,OPERLOG
    Stop the data stream
    • From the user exit:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,SYSLOG
    • From OPERLOG:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,OPERLOG
    View the status of the data stream
    • From the user exit:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,SYSLOG
    • From OPERLOG:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,OPERLOG
    View the configuration information for the data stream
    • From the user exit:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,SYSLOG
    • From OPERLOG:
      MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,OPERLOG
    IBM® Z NetView messages
    Start the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,DOMAIN=domain
    Stop the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,DOMAIN=domain
    View the status of the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,DOMAIN=domain
    View the configuration information for the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,DOMAIN=domain
    Usage note: domain represents the name of the NetView domain.
    IBM WebSphere® Application Server for z/OS HPEL log
    Start the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,HPELDIRECTORY='hpeldirectory'
    Stop the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,HPELDIRECTORY='hpeldirectory'
    View the status of the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,HPELDIRECTORY='hpeldirectory'
    View the configuration information for the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,HPELDIRECTORY='hpeldirectory'
    Usage note: hpeldirectory represents the High Performance Extensible Logging (HPEL) log directory. To prevent an error message, the directory must be enclosed in quotation marks.
    z/OS Resource Measurement Facility Monitor III reports
    Start the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=START,GATHERER,RMFIIIREPORT ='reporttype'
    Stop the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=STOP,GATHERER,RMFIIIREPORT ='reporttype'
    View the status of the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,STATUS,RMFIIIREPORT ='reporttype'
    View the configuration information for the data stream
    MODIFY procname,APPL=DISPLAY,GATHERER,CONFIG,RMFIIIREPORT ='reporttype'
    Usage note: reporttype represents the type of the RMF Monitor III report.
  2. To run the NetView message provider, complete the following actions as appropriate.
    Action Instructions
    Start the NetView message provider Specify either C (cold start) or W (warm start) as the value for the COMMON.HBONETV.START variable in the CNMSTYLE member, as shown in the following example:
    COMMON.HBONETV.START = W
    Stop the NetView message provider Change the value of the HBONETV.STOP variable in the CGED panel to YES.