Users Guide

434 Monitoring and Logging System Information
Why Is System Information Needed?
The information the switch provides can help the switch administrator
troubleshoot issues that might be affecting system performance. The cable
diagnostics test help the administrator troubleshoot problems with the
physical connections to the switch. Auditing access to the switch and the
activities an administrator performed while managing the switch can help
provide security and accountability.
Where Are Log Messages Sent?
The messages the switch generates in response to events, faults, errors, and
configuration changes can be recorded in several locations. By default, these
messages are stored locally on the switch in the RAM (cache). This collection
of log files is called the RAM log or buffered log. When the RAM log file
reaches the configured maximum size, the oldest message is deleted from the
RAM when a new message is added. If the system restarts, all messages are
cleared.
In addition to the RAM log, log files can be sent to the following sources:
• Console — If the administrator is connected to the switch CLI through
the console port, messages display to the screen as they are generated. Use
the terminal monitor command to control logging of messages to the
console when connected via Telnet or SSH.
• Log file — Messages sent to the log file are saved in the flash memory and
are not cleared when the system restarts.
• Remote server — Messages can be sent to a remote log server for viewing
and storage.
• Email — Messages can be sent to one or more email addresses.
Information about the network Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP)
server must be configured for email to be successfully sent from the switch.