Alert Log Management

Question

Hi All
My database is on Windows machine OS version MS Windows 2003 SP2 64 bit with genuine intel processor from EM 64T family. The alert log is expected to capture all error messages and for a DBA it points one of the most important trouble shooting areas if any problem with the database is referred to .. also does it grow continuously as the database ages in time ..
Earlier on UNIX machines I used to backup the alert log file for future referance and then would trim the file size so that it wont grow beyond manageable limits.. I was using vi editor, cp command and other unix filters like head etc..
but on windows we do not have the filters .. neither could I open the alert log file trim the top few lines and save it so that its size is still manageable by the os.. I am at the moment clueless as to how could I do this activity.. I was doing some google offlate and learnt that for listener log, we have some options like
lsnrctl set file_name <NEW LOG FILE_NAME>
to refresh the listener log to a new file and thus avoid it growing huge in size. Do we have any such fascility for managing alert log as well? It would not always be possible to shut down the database just to trim the alert log file.. and on windows I am not sure about other options..
Thank you ..
Sarat.

Answer 1

Here is from a previous post:
I've been managing Oracle database mostly on Linux for years. Now I'm in an all windows shop and need a script to check my alert logs. Batch programming is junk, can't be trusted, errorlevel is worthless, so I wrote this little program.
This is the begining of alert_log_checker.vbs
' Check the alert log for errors, then send email and rename file
' takes the alert log location as the 1st parameter
Set oArgs = WScript.Arguments
' Set this to the log you want to check for or pass it in. currently its passed in
v_alert_log = oArgs(0)
' Set this to the text pattern you want to grep for
v_pattern = "ORA-"
v_mail_to = "[email protected]"
Set objNet = CreateObject("WScript.NetWork")
v_computername = objNet.ComputerName
v_mail_from = v_computername & "@someplace.com"
' Check if the file exists
if FileExists(v_alert_log) = FALSE then
'wscript.echo "No log file" & v_alert_log
Wscript.quit(0)
end if
' Grep the log
v_grepResults = GrepFile(v_alert_log,v_pattern)
if v_grepResults = "" then
'wscript.echo "Log is empty"
wscript.quit(0)
else
' send email concerning alert
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Return = WshShell.Run("sendmail.vbs -t "& chr(34) & v_mail_to & chr(34) &" -f "& chr(34) & v_computername & "@crocentral.com "& chr(34) &" -s "& chr(34) & "Oracle Alerts in Log on "& v_computername & chr(34) & " -a "& v_alert_log & " -b "& chr(34) & v_grepresults & chr(34), 1, true)
Set WshShell = Nothing
' rename file prepending date time YYYYMMDD_HHMM
renameLogFile(v_alert_log)
wscript.quit(0)
end if
'*********************** FileExists
Function FileExists(filespec)
Dim fe, msg
Set fe = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
If (fe.FileExists(filespec)) Then
msg = TRUE
Else
msg = FALSE
End If
FileExists = msg
End Function
'*********************** GrepFile
Function GrepFile(p_txtFile, p_pattern)
Dim v_txtTemp, objFS, objFL, v_lineTemp
Set objFS = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objFL = objFS.OpenTextFile(p_txtFile)
Do While Not objFL.AtEndOfStream
v_lineTemp=objFL.ReadLine
if instr(1,v_lineTemp,p_pattern,1) > 0 then
v_txtTemp = v_txtTemp & v_lineTemp & vbCrLf
end if
Loop
objFL.Close
Set objFS = Nothing
GrepFile = v_txtTemp
End Function
'*********************** renameLogFile
sub renameLogFile(p_file)
dim v_file, v_path, v_filename, v_newname, v_yyyymmdd
v_dtNow = Now()
v_YYYYMMDD24hhMM = Right("0" & Year(v_dtNow), 4) & Right("0" & Month(v_dtNow), 2) & Right("0" & Day(v_dtNow), 2) & "_" & replace(FormatDateTime(v_dtnow,4),":","")
Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
set v_file=fso.GetFile(p_file)
v_path=v_file.ParentFolder
v_filename = v_file.name
v_newname = v_path & "\" & v_YYYYMMDD24hhMM & "_" & v_filename
'wscript.echo v_newname
v_file.Move v_newname
end sub
*** this is the end of alert_log_checker.vbs
alert_log_checker.vbs calls sendmail.vbs is is below, which I didn't write (just hacked) and am including for the whole package.
*** begin sendmail.vbs
' Sends email from the remote SMTP service using CDO objects
' Usage:
' sendmail -t <to> -f <from> -s "<subject>" -b "<message>"
' sendmail [-help|-?]
'Option Explicit
'On Error Resume Next
Dim objSendMail, oArgs, ArgNum
Dim strTo, strFrom, strSubject, strBody, strAttachFile, strBodyFile
strBodyFile=FALSE
Set oArgs = WScript.Arguments
ArgNum = 0
While ArgNum < oArgs.Count
Select Case LCase(oArgs(ArgNum))
Case "-to","-t":
ArgNum = ArgNum + 1
strTo = oArgs(ArgNum)
Case "-from","-f":
ArgNum = ArgNum + 1
strFrom = oArgs(ArgNum)
Case "-subject","-s":
ArgNum = ArgNum + 1
strSubject = oArgs(ArgNum)
Case "-body","-b":
ArgNum = ArgNum + 1
strBody = oArgs(ArgNum)
Case "-bf":
ArgNum = ArgNum + 1
strBodyFile=TRUE
strBody = oArgs(ArgNum)
Case "-attachfile","-a":
ArgNum = ArgNum + 1
strAttachFile = oArgs(ArgNum)
Case "-help","-?":
Call DisplayUsage
Case Else:
Call DisplayUsage
End Select
ArgNum = ArgNum + 1
Wend
'WScript.Echo strto & strFrom & strsubject & strbody
If oArgs.Count=0 Or strTo="" Or strFrom="" Or strSubject="" Then
Call DisplayUsage
Else
Set objMessage = CreateObject("CDO.Message")
objMessage.Subject = strsubject
objMessage.From = strFrom
objMessage.To = strto
if strBodyFile = TRUE then
objMessage.TextBody = ReadFile(strbody)
else
objMessage.TextBody = strbody
end if
if strAttachFile <> "" then
'wscript.echo "attaching file"
objMessage.AddAttachment(strAttachFile)
end if
end if
'==This section provides the configuration information for the remote SMTP server.
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/sendusing") = 2
'Name or IP of Remote SMTP Server
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserver") = "jupiter"
'Server port (typically 25)
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Item _
("http://schemas.microsoft.com/cdo/configuration/smtpserverport") = 25
objMessage.Configuration.Fields.Update
'==End remote SMTP server configuration section==
objMessage.Send
' Display the usage for this script
Sub DisplayUsage
WScript.Echo "Usage:"
WScript.Echo " sendmail -t <to address> -f <from address> -s " & _
Chr(34) & "<subject>" & Chr(34) & " -b " & Chr(34) & _
"<message body>" & Chr(34)
WScript.Echo " -a <attachment file name>"
WScript.Echo " sendmail [-help|-?]"
WScript.Echo ""
WSCript.Quit
End Sub
Function ReadFile(txtFile)
Dim txtTemp, objFS, objFL
Set objFS = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set objFL = objFS.OpenTextFile(txtFile)
Do While Not objFL.AtEndOfStream
txtTemp = txtTemp & objFL.ReadLine
txtTemp = txtTemp & vbCrLf
Loop
objFL.Close
Set objFS = Nothing
ReadFile = txtTemp
End Function
*** end sendmail.vbs