System Event Log

System Event Log

The System Event Log (SEL) resides on the CIMC in NVRAM. The SEL is used for troubleshooting system health. It records most server-related events, such as instances of over or under voltage, temperature events, fan events, and BIOS events. The types of events supported by SEL include BIOS events, memory unit events, processor events, and motherboard events.

The SEL logs are stored in the CIMC NVRAM, through a SEL log policy. It is best practice to periodically download and clear the SEL logs. The SEL file is approximately 40KB in size, and no further events can be recorded once it is full. It must be cleared before additional events can be recorded.

You can use the SEL policy to back up the SEL to a remote server, and optionally to clear the SEL after a backup operation occurs. Backup operations can be triggered based on specific actions, or they can be set to occur at regular intervals. You can also manually back up or clear the SEL.

The backup file is automatically generated. The filename format is sel-SystemName-ChassisID-ServerID-ServerSerialNumber-Timestamp.

For example, sel-UCS-A-ch01-serv01-QCI12522939-20091121160736.

Viewing the System Event Log for an Individual Server

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Expand Equipment > Chassis > Chassis Number > Servers.

Step 3

Click the server for which you want to view the system event log.
Step 4

In the Work pane, click the SEL Logs tab.

Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the list of events.

Viewing the System Event Log for the Servers in a Chassis

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

On the Equipment tab, expand Equipment > Chassis > Chassis_Name .

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the SEL Logs tab.

Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the list of events.

Step 4

In the Server table, click the server for which you want to view the system event log.

Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the list of events.

Configuring the SEL Policy

Procedure

Step 1

In the Navigation pane, click Equipment.

Step 2

Click the Equipment node.

Step 3

In the Work pane, click the Policies tab.

Step 4

Click the SEL Policy subtab.

Step 5

(Optional) In the General area, type a description of the policy in the Description field.

The other fields in this area are read-only.
Step 6

In the Backup Configuration area, complete the following fields:

Name Description

Protocol field

The protocol to use when communicating with the remote server. This can be one of the following:

  • FTP

  • TFTP

  • SCP

  • SFTP

  • USB A—The USB drive inserted into fabric interconnect A.

    This option is only available for certain system configurations.

  • USB B—The USB drive inserted into fabric interconnect B.

    This option is only available for certain system configurations.

Hostname field

The hostname or IP address of the server on which the backup configuration resides. If you use a hostname rather than an IPv4 or IPv6 address, you must configure a DNS server. If the Cisco UCS domain is not registered with Cisco UCS Central or DNS management is set to local, configure a DNS server in Cisco UCS Manager. If the Cisco UCS domain is registered with Cisco UCS Central and DNS management is set to global, configure a DNS server in Cisco UCS Central.

Note 

The name of the backup file is generated by Cisco UCS. The name is in the following format: 

sel-system-name-chchassis-id-
servblade-id-blade-serial
-timestamp

Remote Path field

The absolute path to the file on the remote server, if required.

If you use SCP, the absolute path is always required. If you use any other protocol, you may not need to specify a remote path, provided that the file resides in the default download folder. For details about how your file server is configured, contact your system administrator.

Backup Interval drop-down list

The time to wait between automatic backups. This can be one of the following:

  • Never—Do not perform any automatic SEL data backups.

  • 1 Hour

  • 2 Hours

  • 4 Hours

  • 8 Hours

  • 24 Hours

  • 1 Week

  • 1 Month

Note 

If you want the system to create automatic backups, make sure that you check the Timer check box in the Action option box.

Format field

The format to use for the backup file. This can be one of the following:

  • Ascii

  • Binary

Clear on Backup check box

If checked, Cisco UCS clears all system event logs after the backup is completed.

User field

The username the system should use to log in to the remote server. This field does not apply if the protocol is TFTP or USB.

Password field

The password for the remote server username. This field does not apply if the protocol is TFTP or USB.

Action check box

For each box that is checked, the system creates an SEL backup when that event is encountered:

  • Log Full—The log reaches the maximum size allowed.

  • On Change of Association—The association between a server and its service profile changes.

  • On Clear—The user manually clears a system event log.

  • Timer—The time interval specified in the Backup Interval drop-down list is reached.

Reset Configuration button

Click this button to reset the background configuration information.

Step 7

Click Save Changes.

Copying One or More Entries in the System Event Log

This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

Procedure

Step 1

After the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, use your mouse to highlight the entry or entries that you want to copy from the system event log.

Step 2

Click Copy to copy the highlighted text to the clipboard.

Step 3

Paste the highlighted text into a text editor or other document.

Printing the System Event Log

This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

Procedure

Step 1

After the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Print.

Step 2

In the Print dialog box, do the following:

  1. (Optional) Modify the default printer, or any other fields or options.

  2. Click Print.

Refreshing the System Event Log

This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

Procedure

After the Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Refresh.

Cisco UCS Manager retrieves the system event log for the server and displays the updated list of events.

Manually Backing Up the System Event Log

This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

Before you begin

Configure the system event log policy. The manual backup operation uses the remote destination configured in the system event log policy.

Procedure

After Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Backup.

Cisco UCS Manager backs up the system event log to the location specified in the SEL policy.

Manually Clearing the System Event Log

This task assumes that you are viewing the system event log for a server from the SEL Logs tab for a server or a chassis.

Procedure

After Cisco UCS Manager GUI displays the system event log in the SEL Logs tab, click Clear.

Note 

This action triggers an automatic backup if Clear is enabled in the SEL policy Action option box.