Common Base Event structure
A Common Base Event is a common structure for an event. It defines common fields, the values that these fields can take, and the exact meanings of these values for an event.
The Common Base Event contains several structural elements. These elements include:
- Common header information
- Component identification, both source and reporter
- Situation information
- Message data
- Extended data
- Context data
- Associated events and association engine
Each of these structural elements has its own embedded elements and attributes.
The following table presents a summary of all the fields in the Common Base Event and their usage requirements for problem determination events.
name, log events, and base specification. This table shows whether a particular element or attribute is required, recommended, optional, prohibited, or discouraged for log events, and the base
Notes:Field name Log events Base specification Version Required Required creationTime Required Required severity Required Optional Msg Required Optional sourceComponentId* Required Required sourceComponentId.location Required Required sourceComponentId.locationType Required Required sourceComponentId.component Required Required sourceComponentId.subComponent Required Required sourceComponentId.componentIdType Required Required sourceComponentId.componentType Required Required sourceComponentId.application Recommended Optional sourceComponentId.instanceId Recommended Optional sourceComponentId.processId Recommended Optional sourceComponentId.threadId Recommended Optional sourceComponentId.executionEnvironment Optional Optional situation* Required Required situation.categoryName Required Required situation.situationType* Required Required situation.situationType.reasoningScope Required Required situation.situationType.(specific Situation Type elements) Required Required msgDataElement* Recommended Optional msgDataElement .msgId Recommended Optional msgDataElement .msgIdType Recommended Optional msgDataElement .msgCatalogId Recommended Optional msgDataElement .msgCatalogTokens Recommended Optional msgDataElement .msgCatalog Recommended Optional msgDataElement .msgCatalogType Recommended Optional msgDataElement .msgLocale Recommended Optional extensionName Recommended Optional localInstanceId Optional Optional globalInstanceId Optional Optional priority Discouraged Optional repeatCount Optional Optional elapsedTime Optional Optional sequenceNumber Optional Optional reporterComponentId* Optional Optional reporterComponentId.location Required (2) Required (2) reporterComponentId.locationType Required (2) Required (2) reporterComponentId.component Required (2) Required (2) reporterComponentId.subComponent Required (2) Required (2) reporterComponentId.componentIdType Required (2) Required (2) reporterComponentId.componentType Required (2) Required (2) reporterComponentId.instanceId Optional Optional reporterComponentId.processId Optional Optional reporterComponentId.threadId Optional Optional reporterComponentId.application Optional Optional reporterComponentId.executionEnvironment Optional Optional extendedDataElements* Note 3 Optional contextDataElements* Note 4 Optional associatedEvents* Note 5 Optional
- Items followed by an asterisk (*) are elements that consist of sub elements and attributes. The fields in those elements are listed in the table directly following the parent element name.
- Some of the elements are optional, but when included, they include sub elements and attributes required. For example, the reporterComponentId element has a ComponentIdentification type. The component attribute in ComponentIdentification is required. Therefore, the reporterComponentId.component attribute is required, but only when the reporterComponentId parent element is included.
- The extendedDataElements element can be included multiple times to supply extended data information. See the Extended data section for more information on required and recommended extended data element values.
- The contextDataElements element can be included multiple times to supply context data information.
- The associatedEvents element can be included multiple times to supply correlation data. No recommended uses of this element exist for the producers of problem determination data, and the use of this element is discouraged.
Subtopics
- Common header information
Format and use header fields for problem determination events. These fields clarify and extend the information provided in the other documents.
- Component identification for source and reporter
The component identification fields in the Common Base Event are used to indicate which component in the system is experiencing the condition described by the event (the sourceComponentID) and which component emitted the event (the reporterComponentID).
- Situation information
The situation information is used to classify the condition that is reported by an event into a common set of situations.
- Message data
All problem determination Common Base Events must provide human readable text that describes the specific reported event within the msg field of the Common Base Event.
- Extended data
The Common Base Event provides several methods for including this additional data, including extending the Common Base Event schema or supplying one or more ExtendedDataElement elements within the Common Base Event, which is the preferred approach.
Related tasks
Logging Common Base Events in WebSphere Application Server