Using the logs to check if a JVM started properly mini series

Ask a group of system administrators/developers about how they confirm that a JVM has started properly and there will be a significant portion who say "If the green arrow is showing on the Websphere console then  JVM is ready for use".

A smaller proportion will say "I login to Maximo and open a record". A smaller group will say that they do both.

This mini-series explains why both approaches can be misleading and why checking the logs after a startup is the surest way to check that the JVM has started correctly.

The series is based on extracts from a Vetasi support procedure available to customers and Vetasi staff. It won't cover all the messages or the technique to scan read the log files, non Vetasi customers/staff interested in gaining the full picture should attend Vetasi's log analysis course.

Problems that can occur because a JVM failed to start properly

These are a sample of the problems.

• Interface related transactions fail
• Users are unable to login
• Logs rollover very quickly losing key information
• Loss of resilience because a JVM can't communicate with the other JVMs
• External systems are unable to communicate with Maximo
• Deployed changes are not applied as expected

These are just some of the serious problems that can occur. With the proper checks a system administrator can spot the messages that indicate these problems and intervene before users try and use the affected JVM.

This series will give an overview about how to detect startup related problems.

Vetasi advice

Take copies of the logs next time you start a JVM and refer to them in the weeks to come. See which log entries referred to in this mini series that you can see. Consider enrolling on Vetasi's log analysis course to get a better understanding of the logs and to reduce fault resolution times.