Displaying Server Process Log Files

The /usr/afs/logs directory on each file server machine contains log files that detail interesting events that occur during normal operation of some AFS server processes. The self-explanatory information in the log files can help you evaluate process failures and other problems. To display a log file remotely, issue the bos getlog command. You can also establish a connection to the server machine and use a text editor or other file display program (such as the cat command).

Note

Log files can grow unmanageably large if you do not periodically shutdown and restart the database server processes (for example, if you disable the general restart time). In this case it is a good policy periodically to issue the UNIX rm command to delete the current log file. The server process automatically creates a new one as needed.

To examine a server process log file

  1. Verify that you are listed in the /usr/afs/etc/UserList file. If necessary, issue the bos listusers command, which is fully described in To display the users in the UserList file.

       % bos listusers <machine name>
    
  2. Issue the bos getlog command to display a log file.

       % bos getlog  <machine name>  <log file to examine>
    

    where

    getl

    Is the shortest acceptable abbreviation of getlog.

    machine name

    Specifies the server machine from which to display the log file.

    log file to examine

    Names the log file to be displayed. Provide one of the following file names to display the indicated log file from the /usr/afs/logs directory.

    • AuthLog for the Authentication Server log file

    • BackupLog for the Backup Server log file

    • BosLog for the BOS Server log file

    • FileLog for the File Server log file

    • SalvageLog for the Salvager log file

    • VLLog for the Volume Location (VL) Server log file

    • VolserLog for the Volume Server log file

    You can provide a full or relative pathname to display a file from another directory. Relative pathnames are interpreted relative to the /usr/afs/logs directory.