The Lenovo(R) Storage family of products generates events that indicate task completion, unexpected conditions, and errors. In this e-Learning module, you will learn about the different types of events, how to interpret the event log, how to run a fix procedure for an event, and how to establish event notifications.
There are two types of events: messages and alerts. Messages provide information about system operations. A message can indicate, for example, that an FlashCopy(R) operation has completed. Alerts indicate error conditions that require action or warnings that action might soon be required. Alerts can indicate, for example, that a disk has failed or a thin-provisioned volume is approaching full capacity.
Both types of events are displayed in the event log. To access the event log, open the management GUI and select Monitoring > Events. The log displays icons and descriptions to indicate the cause of any log entry. You can sort by clicking a column. When you sort by error code, the most serious events, which are the ones with the lowest numbers, are displayed first.You can also filter the view based on text that you enter, view the entire log, or view only unfixed events.
If there are alerts that require attention, you can choose to select “Run Fix” in the Recommended Action window to fix the alert with the highest priority. To run a fix procedure for a different alert, right-click on an event, and select “Run Fix” from the menu. It is important to note that if an error is reported, you must run a fix procedure to resolve the error, and it is recommended that you run the fix procedures in the order that they are shown in the event log.
For the IBM SAN Volume Controller, or SVC, and Storwize V7000 system, the system can provide notification of a new event to help identify problems or confirm that operations have completed. For these systems, the alerts that IBM will service are classified as errors, while all other alerts are classified as warnings. After you set up Email Event Notifications, these notifications can be sent to you using Call Home emails. Notifications can also be sent using Simple Network Management Protocol (or SNMP) traps and syslog messages. Note that only the SVC and Storwize V7000 products separate their alerts into errors and warnings, and that all other Storwize family products simply have alerts and messages.
When you configure notifications for the SVC and Storwize V7000 systems, you select the notification type that the system will send to each recipient. Event notification types can include errors, warnings, and information events. An error or warning indicates a problem, or unexpected condition, that should be investigated and corrected as soon as possible. Errors normally indicate failed hardware. If the Call Home feature is enabled, IBM Support will be notified of any error events.An information notification provides status and indicates an expected event. Messages are generally considered to be information events. For the remaining Storwize family products, the events are classified simply as “all events” or “alerts.” IBM is notified of the alerts that require IBM attention.
Before configuring event notifications, identify the address of the simple network management protocol, or SNMP, that will receive these notifications, or the address of the simple mail transfer protocol, known as SMTP, that will relay email notifications. Ensure that your system can connect to these servers. The SMTP server will need to be able to route to external email addresses. To set up email notifications, use the management GUI to configure your notification settings. Select Settings > Event Notifications and then select the email, SNMP, or syslog method of transmission. Any of these notification methods can be used on an IPv4 or IPv6 network.
The email feature transmits operational and error-related data in the form of an event notification email. This feature alerts service personnel about machine conditions, and you have the option to enable inventory transmission. The inventory information allows for problem analysis and resolution.
If you did not previously enable email notifications during System Set up, select the Edit button to add contact information. Enter the IP address and server port for one or more of the email servers that you are providing. The Call Home email notification for IBM Support is automatically configured. Enter accurate and complete information about both the company and company contact. The email contact is the person who will be contacted by the support center. Enter the email address for the system administrator who will receive the email alerts. Select one or more event types for each user and review your selections before completing this task. You can make changes to this information or disable the email service at any time. When you have finished entering all notification information, click Save.
SNMP is a standard protocol that enables the product to send external messages. With an SNMP manager, such as IBM Systems Director, you can view, and act on, the messages that the SNMP agent sends. The SNMP manager can send emails when an event type that you have specified occurs.
To configure SNMP notifications, select SNMP. Enter the IP address, server port, and community of one or more SNMP servers. Select one or more event types. Click Add, the task completes, and you return to the SNMP panel. The IP server address is now shown. You can make changes, remove a server, or add another SNMP server at any time.
Syslog is another protocol that can be used to forward log messages. The syslog manager can notify you when an error, warning, or information event occurs.
To configure syslog notifications, select Syslog. Enter the IP address. Select the facility level, verify the message format, and select the event types for one or more syslog servers.
In this module, you learned about the different types of events and notifications, how to view events, how to run fix procedures, and how to configure event notifications for email, SNMP, and syslog. For more information, see the other topics in IBM Knowledge Center.