SysLog Levels

The SysLogLevels view Layout for Charts enables you to quickly assess the relative distribution of the log entry volumes per information level value that exist in a SambaSysLog file. The Layout uses a Bar element visualizer component that provides a label to the left of the bar elements to display the value of associated information levels in a SambaSysLog. Each horizontal graphic bar element in this Layout extends to a certain length that corresponds to the log entry volume for a specific information level. Each bar element is also tagged with a number that appears to the right of the element to represent the total number of entries that contain a particular level. To the right of the bar element display, there is set of labels that indicate what percent of the total number of log entry levels each bar element represents. Also, in the bottom right sector of the Layout, the total number of log entries with level designations is displayed.

More Information
To learn more about working with text-based .log files, see Opening Text Log Files.

Using the SysLogLevels Layout

With the SysLogLevels view Layout for Charts, you can instantly assess the areas in your log that had the most critical levels, which can indicate an initial direction in which further investigation might proceed. SambaSysLog levels typically consist of the following. As expected, errors and warnings are usually the most critical to review, as described in "Interactive Analysis" ahead:

• 0 — Error

• 1 — Warning

• 2 — Notice

• 3 — Information

• 4+ — Debug

Interactive Analysis
The SysLogLevels view Layout is intended to work with the SysLog view Layout of the Analysis Grid viewer and the SysLog view Layout of the Grouping viewer to create an integrated and interactive analysis environment. You will be able to correlate the data most effectively if you have these viewers and Layouts displayed. Note that these viewers and Layouts are configured in the Samba Logs Profile and will display after you load data from a SambaSysLog.log file, provided that you enabled this Profile on the Profiles tab of the Options dialog (accessible from the global Message Analyzer Tools menu).

For example, to interactively analyze SambaSysLog data, you can drive the display of log entries that contain level designations into the Analysis Grid viewer by double-clicking any bar element for a particular level in the SysLogLevels view Layout. Thereafter, you can review status information and other content for any log entry in the Summary column of the Analysis Grid viewer along with log entry fields and values in the Details Tool Window. If you want to isolate log entries that contain an error or warning, you might apply a view Filter to the Analysis Grid viewer such as *Summary contains "level=0" or *Summary contains "level=1", respectively. You can also quickly isolate level data from high volume SambaSysLog.log files with the Grouping viewer, as described immediately below.

The SysLog view Layout for the Grouping viewer also enables a greater interactive context with additional enhancements to the analysis process. For example, this Layout is organized with level values as the top groups with nested function groups, and nested source_file groups beneath that. The advantage of this viewing configuration is that you can isolate the log entry data to the top group (the Samba information level), then to the first nested group (the Samba function that wrote the log entry), and finally to the second nested group (the Samba source_file that contains the function that logged an entry). As you select these groups, the log entries associated with them display in the Analysis Grid viewer for a focused assessment of details. This grouped configuration enables you to streamline and prioritize your investigation based on the level values, which is a good starting point from where you can determine, in a hierarchical manner, the functions and source code that are associated with the most critical levels.

More Information
To learn more about interactively analyzing SambaSysLog data with the indicated viewing and Layout configurations, see the following topics:
Applying and Managing Analysis Grid Viewer Layouts — see the SysLog Layout in this topic.
Grouping Viewer — see the SysLog Layout in this topic.
Working With Message Analyzer Profiles — see the Samba Logs Profile in the table of this topic to review a related usage scenario and analysis example and to learn how to manually display the Grouping and Chart viewers with the Layouts defined in this Profile.