The history log is a tool that contains information about the operation of the system and the system status.
The history log tracks high-level activities such as the start and completion of jobs, device status changes, system operator messages, and security violations. The information is recorded in the form of messages. These messages are stored in files that are created by the system.
History logs help you track and control system activity. When you maintain an accurate history log, you can monitor specific system activities that help analyze problems. History logs differ from job logs. Job logs record the sequential events of a job. History logs record certain operational and status messages that relate to all jobs in the system.
You can start your investigation of a problem by looking at the history log and then referring to a specific job log for details.