(ZOS) Set up the error log

WebSphere Application Server for z/OS uses an error log to record error information when an unexpected condition or failure is detected within the product's own code. Use the log stream to record activity and help diagnose problems.

Unexpected conditions or failures include:

• Assertion failures
• Unrecoverable error conditions
• Failures related to vital resources, such as memory
• Operating system exceptions
• Programming defects in WAS for z/OS code.

IBM recommends using the High Performance Extensible Logging (HPEL) log and trace infrastructure . We view HPEL log and trace information using the logViewer .

Tasks

• Because WAS for z/OS is predefined as a z/OS system logger application, we can use a log stream as the product's error log. By doing so, we can direct error information to a coupling facility log stream, which provides sysplex-wide error logging, or to a DASD-only log stream, which provides single system-only error logging.

• We can set up a common log stream for all WAS for z/OS servers, or individual log streams for each application server. Local z/OS client ORBs can also log data in log streams. The system logger APIs are unauthorized, but log stream resources can be protected using security products such as RACF .

• Use the WebSphere variable ras_time_local to control whether timestamps in the error log appear in local time (ras_time_local=1) or Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)(ras_time_local=0), which is the default.

• For additional information about z/OS log stream requirements, access the z/OS MVS™ Setting up a Sysplex, SA22-7625 available on the z/OS Library web page

(ZOS) Log output destinations and characteristics

(ZOS) Manage operator message routing