Searching through IT logs can be boring and tedious. With the swatch (Simple WATCHer) Linux utility, automate actions based on matching logging conditions.

Written by Max Hetrick

Awhile back, I showed you how to take advantage of setting up a centralized remote logging facility for Linux. Centralized logging gives you one location to head for when trouble arises. Using the Linux tool swatch, let's take logging one step further by automating alerts or actions based on conditions matching regular expressions.

CPF1240/CPF1241: Job ended abnormally/normally.

Written by Tom Huntington

Who hasn't had a "file full" message in QSYSOPR? It's about as common as a cold. But what do you do with the message? Always the same reaction? What about the QSYSOPR job end abnormally and normally messages, CPF1240 and CPF1241? They're nice to know for certain jobs, but for most jobs, you don't care. When a certain job ends, do you want to execute a command, restart the job, notify someone, or do something else?

Tired of manually filling out the audit log?

Written by Tom Huntington

Do you spend time each day filling out logs to prove to auditors that you have looked at a system report? Do you spend time entering details into a spreadsheet about reports you reviewed? Do you file these reports and then have trouble retrieving them?

Automate your backups with save-while-active.

Written by Tom Huntington

Although the save-while-active feature for backups has been around for many years, a lot of customers are afraid to use this parameter in their save commands. They may have heard something bad about the process at a conference, or they may have tried it and it didn't work. I've found the parameter to be very helpful, but you have to understand how best to use it.

Working on remote file systems is made simpler with the user-space-defined file system of SSHFS.

Written by Max Hetrick

Whether you're on a local LAN or in a remote, distant location, chances are you're using SSH to gain remote access to your Linux servers. With SSH access, tools like scp (secure copy) make it possible to transfer files to and from machines but sometimes with a price of repetitive typing of arguments and commands. Other options such as Samba and NFS can be more difficult to configure and use, with firewalls and diverse network configurations in place. With the tool SSHFS, as long as you have SSH access, remote file systems can be mounted locally, where they can be viewed and used with local tools and scripts.

Do your developers spend time writing code to manage your schedule?

Written by Tom Huntington

A free scheduler sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? However, Work Schedule Entry isn't free if your team spends time writing code to control dependencies. It isn't free if your operators have to look at QSYSOPR to determine when to force the next job. It isn't free when you consider the time you spend pulling together the reports your auditors demand, such as Who can create jobs or Who changed the job in your scheduler.

Notify the correct person, fast!

Written by Tom Huntington

The battle of escalating issues quickly for resolution has two parts. Half of the battle is getting the message to the correct person to handle the issue: Who should you notify? Who is responsible for the problem? Who is the expert? The other half of the battle is solving the issue as quickly as possible: Who knows the right answer? Who has the authority to handle the issue? Who is available?

Do you know when your libraries were backed up and whether any changes occurred since then? Here's the easy way to find out.

Written by Steve Pitcher

Whether you're backing up your system using a custom CL program, a third-party product, or the Backup Tasks menu is irrelevant. Missing objects and libraries in your nightly backup is not.