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Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Chapter 26 Configuring System Message Logging
Configuring System Message Logging
Configuring System Message Logging
These sections describe how to configure system message logging:
• System Log Message Format, page 26-2
• Default System Message Logging Configuration, page 26-3
• Disabling and Enabling Message Logging, page 26-3
• Setting the Message Display Destination Device, page 26-4
• Synchronizing Log Messages, page 26-5
• Enabling and Disabling Timestamps on Log Messages, page 26-6
• Enabling and Disabling Sequence Numbers in Log Messages, page 26-7
• Defining the Message Severity Level, page 26-8
• Limiting Syslog Messages Sent to the History Table and to SNMP, page 26-9
• Configuring UNIX Syslog Servers, page 26-10

System Log Message Format

System log messages can contain up to 80 characters and a percent sign (%), which follows the optional
sequence number or timestamp information, if configured. Messages appear in this format:
seq no:timestamp: %facility-severity-MNEMONIC:description
The part of the message preceding the percent sign depends on the setting of the service
sequence-numbers, service timestamps log datetime, service timestamps log datetime [localtime]
[msec] [show-timezone], or service timestamps log uptime global configuration command.
Table 26-1 describes the elements of syslog messages.
Tab l e 26-1 System Log Message Elements
Element Description
seq no: Stamps log messages with a sequence number only if the service sequence-numbers global
configuration command is configured.
For more information, see the “Enabling and Disabling Sequence Numbers in Log Messages”
section on page 26-7.
timestamp formats:
mm/dd hh:mm:ss
or
hh:mm:ss (short uptime)
or
d h (long uptime)
Date and time of the message or event. This information appears only if the service timestamps
log [datetime | log] global configuration command is configured.
For more information, see the “Enabling and Disabling Timestamps on Log Messages” section on
page 26-6.
facility The facility to which the message refers (for example, SNMP, SYS, and so forth). For a list of
supported facilities, see Table 26-4 on page 26-11.
severity Single-digit code from 0 to 7 that is the severity of the message. For a description of the severity
levels, see Table 26-3 on page 26-8.