400 IBM Midrange System Storage Hardware Guide
7.7.5 Major Event Log
The Major Event Log (MEL) is the primary source for troubleshooting a DS4000 or DS5000
storage subsystem. It provides a chronological trace of events logged from both controllers.
To access the MEL, select Advanced ï‚® Troubleshooting ï‚® View Event Log. The MEL is
shown in Figure 7-53.
Figure 7-53 Major Event Log viewer
By default, only the 100 most recent critical events are shown, but this can be adjusted. The
MEL holds up to 8192 events. It is best practice to capture a Collect all Support Data file as
early as possible after an error occurs. Sometimes the error condition might generate a
constant stream of events, so a delay could result in the MEL buffer wrapping around making
it more difficult to determine the root cause of a fault. Enabling the Automatic Support Data
Collection feature will ensure that this is captured whenever a critical event is logged.
There is a Clear All button to delete all the entries in the event log. Once a DS4000 or
DS5000 storage subsystem is installed in a live environment, there is no reason to clear the
MEL. The log will automatically wrap around when full. There is no benefit to reducing the
number of events in MEL. However, clearing the MEL could result in the loss of vital
information required in problem determination.
The MEL captures both critical errors and informational messages. Some of the informational
messages, such as media scan start / stop events, will not normally be of any assistance
during problem determination. The MEL viewer has a check box option for filtering the output:
View only critical events (default option) For a quick overview of all events that might
affect the operational status of your DS4000 or
DS5000. This is an effective way of filtering out
only the critical events rather than looking
through the entire log file.
Important: Remember to configure the Event Monitor, and alerts will notify you in case of
critical events as soon as they occur.
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