Logging

Logging

It is a good idea to maintain a log of significant events of your equipment. An automatic feature in your Catalyst can transmit information that you deem as important to a TFTP file server for you to evaluate at a later time. You might want this information for troubleshooting reasons or security reasons. You can use the file, for example, to answer questions such as "What was the last configuration?" or "Did any ports experience unusual conditions?"

A number of configuration commands modify the logging behavior. By default, logging is disabled. However, you can enable logging and direct the output to an internal buffer, to the console, or to a TFTP server. The following commands send events to the server:

set logging server {enable | disable} This command enables or disables the log to server feature. You must enable it if you plan to automatically record events on the server.

set logging server ip_addr Use this command to inform your Catalyst about the IP address for the TFTP server.

set logging server facility server_facility_parameter A number of processes can be monitored and logged to the server. For example, significant VTP, CDP, VMPS, and security services can be monitored. Reference the Catalyst documentation for a detailed list.

set logging server severityserver_severity_level Various degrees of severity ranging in value from 0 through 7 describe the events. 0 indicates emergency situations, and 6 is informational. 7 is used for debugging levels. If you set the severity level to 6, you will have a lot of entries in the logging database because it provides information on trivial and significant events. If you set the level to 0, you will only get records when something catastrophic happens. An intermediate level is appropriate for most networks.