Sending Log Messages

If you use the BRMS System i Navigator and have a license to the BRMS Network feature, you can set up BRMS to send specific BRMS Log messages to a cellular telephone, pager or mailbox or any other electronic media that uses an internet email address. Setting up BRMS to provide remote notification of critical operation status is as simple as adding the message identifiers to a distribution list and specifying the email address.

Messages will be distributed each time they are added to the log, so choose the message carefully. For example, you wouldn't want to add message BRM1058 because it will occur frequently.

BRM1058 - Starting save of library * to devices *.

But you might want to distribute message BRM1820 to be notified when a critical backup ends abnormally.

BRM1820 - Control group * type * ended abnormally.

Follow these simple steps using System i Navigator to set up the message distribution:

1. Click the Backup, Recovery, and Media Services folder to view the BRMS tasks.
2. Click the View or edit global policy properties task.
3. Click the Logging tab.
4. Use the functions provided in the Message IDs to distribute group box to:
   • Add a known message to the distribution list.
   • Browse and select one or more messages to add to the distribution list.
   • Remove messages from the distribution list.
5. Click the Network tab.
6. Use the functions provided in the Distribution group box to:
   • Specify the primary distribution server.
   • Specify the secondary distribution server.
   • Specify the email address.
   • Specify the maximum length of the message if the destination has any message length restrictions.

The system that you select as the primary server will distribute the messages. If the primary server cannot complete the distribution, it sends the message to the secondary server for distribution. For example, you could select a local primary server and a remote secondary server. When the local system is in restricted state, BRMS sends the email through the remote secondary system. If a secondary server is not specified and the primary server is in restricted state, the message will be queued and distributed when BRMS networking is restarted. Attempts are made periodically to re-send pending messages. The retry period is established by the current value of the Shared inventory delay prompt in the System Policy.

Before you can use this function, you must have set up the primary, and optionally the secondary server, for internet access. You would designate a system other than the local system as the primary or secondary server if the local system does not have internet access.