The structure of the Common Base Event

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. This table shows whether a particular element or attribute is required, recommended, optional, prohibited, or discouraged for log events, and the base specification.

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

Notes:

• 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 that are 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.

Sub-topics

Searchable topic ID: rtrb_cbestructure