The following table displays the mapping of SP Error Log label suffixes to
syslog priorities and AIX Error Log error types.
Table 3. SP Error Log label suffixes mapped to syslog priorities and AIX Error Log types
| Error label suffix | syslog priority field | syslog description | AIX Error Log error type | AIX Error Log description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EM | LOG_EMERG | Emergency, system unstable | PEND | The loss of availability of a device is imminent. |
| ER | LOG_ERR | Error condition | PERM | No recovery from this condition. A permanent error occurred. |
| ST | LOG_NOTICE | Normal, but significant condition | UNKN | It is not possible to determine the severity of the error. |
| TR | LOG_INFO | Informational message | UNKN | It is not possible to determine the severity of the error. |
| RE | LOG_DEBUG | Debug message | TEMP | Condition was recovered after several unsuccessful attempts. |
| DE | LOG_DEBUG | Debug message | UNKN | It is not possible to determine the severity of the error. |
In a typical RS/6000, a battery is installed to maintain NVRAM. On an SP system there is no battery, and NVRAM may be lost when the node is powered off. AIX writes the last error log entry to NVRAM. During system startup the last entry is read from NVRAM and placed in the error log when the errdemon is started. This last error log entry may be important in diagnosis of a system failure.
On SP wide nodes the NVRAM does have power to it as long as the node is plugged into the frame and the frame is plugged into a working power source. On SP thin nodes, NVRAM is lost whenever the node is powered down. If the last error log entry is desired, the thin nodes should not be powered off. They should be re-IPLed in the "normal" key mode switch position if at all possible.