Event notifications

SAN Volume Controller can use Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps, syslog messages, and Call Home e-mail to notify you and the IBM® Support Center when significant events are detected. Any combination of these notification methods can be used simultaneously.

Each event that SAN Volume Controller detects is assigned a notification type of Error, Warning, or Information. You can configure SAN Volume Controller to send each type of notification to specific recipients.

Table 1 describes the types of event notifications.
Table 1. SAN Volume Controller notification types
Notification type Description
Error An error notification is sent to indicate a problem that must be corrected as soon as possible.

This notification indicates a serious problem with the SAN Volume Controller. For example, the event that is being reported could indicate a loss of redundancy in the system, and it is possible that another failure could result in loss of access to data. The most typical reason that this type of notification is sent is because of a hardware failure, but some configuration errors or fabric errors also are included in this notification type. Error notifications can be configured to be sent as a Call Home e-mail to the IBM Support Center.

Warning A warning notification is sent to indicate a problem or unexpected condition with the SAN Volume Controller. Always immediately investigate this type of notification to determine the effect that it might have on your operation, and make any necessary corrections.

A warning notification does not require any replacement parts and therefore should not require IBM Support Center involvement. However, the event being reported might indicate a condition that could be fatal to your operating environment: such as, for example, a critical FlashCopy® operation has failed.

Information An informational notification is sent to indicate that an expected event has occurred. For example, a FlashCopy operation has completed. No remedial action is required when these notifications are sent.

SNMP traps

SNMP is a standard protocol for managing networks and exchanging messages. SAN Volume Controller can send SNMP messages that notify personnel about an event. You can use an SNMP manager to view the SNMP messages that SAN Volume Controller sends. You can use the SAN Volume Controller Console or the SAN Volume Controller command-line interface to configure and modify your SNMP settings.

You can use the Management Information Base (MIB) file for SNMP to configure a network management program to receive SNMP messages that are sent by the SAN Volume Controller. This file can be used with SNMP messages from all versions of SAN Volume Controller software. More information about the MIB file for SNMP is available at the Support for SAN Volume Controller (2145) Web site:

Support for SAN Volume Controller (2145) Web site

Search for SAN Volume Controller MIB. Go to the downloads results to find Management Information Base (MIB) file for SNMP. Click this link to find download options. The name of this file is SVC_MIB_<release>.MIB such as in SVC_MIB_4.3.1.MIB.

Syslog messages

The syslog protocol is a standard protocol for forwarding log messages from a sender to a receiver on an IP network. The IP network can be either IPv4 or IPv6. SAN Volume Controller can send syslog messages that notify personnel about an event. SAN Volume Controller can transmit syslog messages in either expanded or concise format. You can use a syslog manager to view the syslog messages that SAN Volume Controller sends. SAN Volume Controller uses the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) to transmit the syslog message. You can use the SAN Volume Controller Console or the SAN Volume Controller command-line interface to configure and modify your syslog settings.

Table 2 shows how SAN Volume Controller notification codes map to syslog security-level codes.
Table 2. SAN Volume Controller notification codes and corresponding syslog level codes
SAN Volume Controller notification code Syslog level code Description
SS_EID_UNKNOWN Not mapped  
SS_EID_ERROR LOG_ALERT Error that needs immediate attention
SS_EID_WARNING LOG_ERROR Warning that needs attention
SS_EID_INFO LOG_INFO Informational messages
SS_EID_TEST LOG_DEBUG Test message
Table 3 shows how syslog facility codes map to SAN Volume Controller values of user-defined message origin identifiers.
Table 3. Syslog facility codes and SAN Volume Controller values of user-defined message origin identifiers
Syslog facility code Syslog value SAN Volume Controller value
LOG_LOCAL0 16 0
LOG_LOCAL1 17 1
LOG_LOCAL2 18 2
LOG_LOCAL3 19 3
LOG_LOCAL4 20 4
LOG_LOCAL5 21 5
LOG_LOCAL6 22 6
LOG_LOCAL7 23 7

Call Home e-mail

The Call Home feature transmits operational and error-related data to you and IBM through a Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server connection in the form of an event notification e-mail. When configured, this function alerts IBM service personnel about hardware failures and potentially serious configuration or environmental issues.

To send e-mail, you must configure at least one SMTP server. You can specify as many as five additional SMTP servers for backup purposes. The SMTP server must accept the relaying of e-mail from the SAN Volume Controller cluster IP address. You can then use the SAN Volume Controller Console or the SAN Volume Controller command-line interface to configure the e-mail settings, including contact information and e-mail recipients. Set the reply address to a valid e-mail address. Send a test e-mail to check that all connections and infrastructure are set up correctly. You can disable the Call Home function at any time using the SAN Volume Controller Console or the SAN Volume Controller command-line interface.

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