Export log Check (‘old style’ backups)

Job details

Name:	Export log Check (‘old style’ backups)
Platform:	Oracle
Category:	Availability
Description:	Checks for errors in a log file (i.e. export log).
Long description:	Task checks for errors in the export log file (‘old style’ backups)
Version:	3.7
Default schedule:	15 5 * *
Requires engine install:	Yes
Compatibility tag:	.[type=‘instance’ & databasetype=‘oracle’]/.[hasengine=‘YES’ & _priv_read_dba_directories = ‘1′ & can_get_grant_create_any_directory=‘1′]

Parameters

Name	Default value	Description
export log name	export.log	The name of the export log file. However, if your export script makes a new name for each export log file, you can use the “$” signs to append the date-format to the filename. For example, if the filename is exp_weekly_$(date “+%m%d%y”).log which would become, for 25Th of May 2010, exp_weekly_052510.log, you set the parameters to the following value: exp_weekly_$MMDDYY$.log
export log path	null	The path name of the export log file which is used to create directory object.
export log directory name	DBW_EXPORT_DIR	The name of the directory object created with the DDL – “create directory”. Directory object value should be the path to the export.log file.
export log error text	ORA-	Defines which strings (errors) the Check must look for. Values for this parameter must be separated with commas (,).
export log line HWM	0	Each time the Check read the export log, it registers how many rows have been checked. The next time the Check executes, it browses pass the rows already checked. The value of how many rows of the export log have already been checked are registered by this parameter.
export log max lines	200000	If the export log has more lines than the value of this parameter, then the Check terminates and returns WARNING status.
export log max elapsed time	60	Define the maximum running time the Check can execute (values are in seconds). If the execution time reach the ~~export log max elapsed time~~ value before reaching the end of file, the Check terminates and returns WARNING status.
export log error text allowed	null	Specifies the error strings which are excluded.
export log confirm text	terminated successfully without warnings	The Check loop throughout the log file, searching for a confirm text. If the Check do not find at least one of the confirm strings, it returns WARNING status. You can specify more than one confirm string for the Check to look for, the strings should be separated by comma (,).
export log date format	dd-mm-yyyy hh24:mi	If a value is assigned to the parameter ~~export log date position~~, you have to specify the date-format by using the Oracle date format (ex. Fri 22:30:04 10-Jan-03 , dd hh24:mi:ss dd-mon-yy).
export log date position	export finished	If the log-file has a date/time stamp in it, you can have the Check to check how recently the log-file has been created (so you do not read a “good” but old log). To be able to find the date/time stamp in the log-file, you have to specify a unique string which must appear on the same line as the date/time stamp or on the line above. The unique string value must be specified by using this parameter. If no value is assigned to that parameter, the Check do not check the date of the log-file. Otherwise you also have to specify the date-format by using the dbWatch parameter “export log date format”.
export log nls lang	English	Defines handling of language-specific date-format used by the dbwatch parameter “export log date format”.
export log expire time	24	You can specify how old the log-file is allowed to be before the Check returns the WARNING status. In other words, if the log-file is created at 22:00 and the Check which checks the log-file is executed at 06:00 (next morning), the value of the parameter must at least be 8 hours. Otherwise the Check will return WARNING status because the log-file is to “old”.

Job Summary

Purpose: The purpose of this job is to monitor and check errors within Oracle database export logs, particularly focusing on “old style” backups.
Why: Monitoring and error checking are crucial for ensuring stability and reliable backups in Oracle databases. Mistakes or specific errors (like those beginning with ‘ORA-’) in the export log can indicate deeper issues that may affect database integrity and disaster recovery processes.
Manual Checking: Errors can also be checked manually using queries and checks directed toward Oracle’s export logs. Familiarity with SQL and directory structures in Oracle will be needed for manual verifications.

Job Details and Mechanism

Name: “Export log Check (‘old style’ backups)”
Description: The task checks for errors in the export logs. Specific errors, defined by the user, are searched within communication queries and procedures associated with ‘old style’ Oracle database backups.
Default Schedule: The job is scheduled to run at 5:15 AM every 15 days.

Configuration Parameters Overview

Multiple parameters like log name, log path, directory name, error strings, and others are used to pinpoint, extract, and evaluate the correctness and status of the logs.
Parameters allow customization for date formatting, inclusion or exclusion of specific error strings, thresholds for log size, reading high-water mark, and maximum allowed execution time.

Dependencies and Conditions

Dependencies: Includes procedures related to checking file logs and the export log itself. Procedures such as ‘CHECK_FILELOG‘ and ‘GET_FILELOG_STATUS‘ are crucial for the operational effectiveness of this job.
Execution: Procedures are included that summarize reading logs, identifying errors, and confirming specific strings or success indicators within the logs.

check_filelog	4	Procedure belonging to the alert_log check
get_filelog_status	4	Procedure belonging to the alert_log check
export_log_#instance~id#	2	Self-dependency to the check

Error Management and Exception Handling

The tasks detailed involve scrutiny of log entries, management of directory permissions, error detections, and managing aspects of file aging.
Specific SQL and PL/SQL code snippets are part of the comprehensive measures to ensure constant checks on the specified logs, which include validating directory structures, parsing log texts for errors and confirmations, and effective error logging in system tables for prompt action or review.

Reporting and Output

The job is equipped with a reporting mechanism that updates and presents results related to directory configurations and status from the checked export logs through specially formatted SQL SELECT commands.
Structured data concerning the logs and directory definitions are presented which can guide timely maintenance and necessary administrative actions.

Textile formatting, as requested, encapsulates critical data in readable lists, tables, and descriptive segments ensuring clarity and accessibility of the job’s configuration and its comprehensive execution strategy within dbWatch Control Center.