Record keeping is an important way for the system to protect data and track system problems. This topic describes what logs and journals are for and how to use them.
Protecting the data and resources on the system is a critical part of the operating system. One important way the iSeries™ servers accomplish that goal is to keep detailed records of any changes to system resources. These records, called logs or journals, can help solve system problems or recover damaged data.
A log is a database file that contains the history of backup, archive, recovery, and media management operations that can be displayed online or printed for future reference. Logs are used in backup and recovery situations. Logs can also contain information about jobs, general system information, and problems.
| Log | Description |
|---|---|
| Job logs | Track the description, status, and action of jobs performed by the system. |
| History logs | Get general system information, like device changes, operator messages, job completion and other activities. |
| Problem logs | Retrieve records of system problems that occurred on an iSeries system. |
A journal is a system object that contains information about changes made to another system object. The journal can be used to recover database files, data areas, data queues, and integrated file systems objects. Regular journaling speeds up management tasks such as save operations.