HP UX System Adstration manual Consolidated Logging, Introduction to syslog, Syslog Message Format

3 Consolidated Logging

Distributed Systems Administration Utilities offers consolidated logging features, including the standard logging features offered by syslogd, and syslog Next Generation (syslog-ng) features in standalone and cluster log consolidation environments.

The next sections of this document describe their use.

3.1 Introduction to syslog

syslogd is a ubiquitous component of UNIX systems that performs system logging activities. syslogd reads from a set of log sources such as /dev/log and /dev/klog and processes the log messages as instructed in /etc/syslog.conf. Applications log messages to syslog using the syslog call (see syslog(3C)).

For more information on syslogd, see syslogd(1M).

3.1.1 syslog Message Format

Asyslog message has a standard format that includes an optional priority level and facility. The priority level indicates the urgency of the message. The facility indicates the subsystem that posted the message. Table 3-1lists the priority level and facilities defined in /usr/include/ syslog.h.

Table 3-1 syslog Priority Levels

Message	Description
LOG_ALERT	Take action immediately,
LOG_CRIT	Critical conditions have occurred.
LOG_DEBUG	Debug-level message.
LOG_EMERG	System is unusable.
LOG_ERR	Error conditions.
LOG_INFO	Informational message.
LOG_NOTICE	Normal but significant conditions that warrant attention.
LOG_WARNING	Warning conditions.

Table 3-2describes syslog Facilities Messages.

Table 3-2 syslog Facilities Messages

Message	Description
LOG_AUTH	Security and authorization messages (DEPRECATED; use
	LOG_AUTHPRIV instead).
LOG_AUTHPRIV	Security and authorization messages (private).
LOG_CRON	Clock daemon (cron and at).
LOG_DAEMON	System daemons without separate facility values.
LOG_FTP	Ftp daemon.
LOG_KERN	Kernel messages.
LOG_LOCAL0 through LOC_LOCAL7	Reserved for local use.
LOG_LPR	Line printer subsystem.

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