System Log Files

The JUNOS software generates system log messages (also called syslog messages) to record events that occur on the Services Router, including the following:

• Routine operations, such as creation of an Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) protocol adjacency or a user login into the configuration database
• Failure and error conditions, such as failure to access a configuration file or unexpected closure of a connection to a child or peer process
• Emergency or critical conditions, such as router power-off due to excessive temperature

The JUNOS system logging utility is similar to the UNIX syslogd utility. Each system log message identifies the software process that generated the message and briefly describes the operation or error that occurred.

When you configure system logging, you can direct messages to one or more destinations:

• To a named file in a local file system
• To the terminal session of one or more specific users (or all users) when they are logged into the router
• To the router console
• To a remote machine that is running the UNIX syslogd utility

Each system log message belongs to a facility, which is a group of messages that are either generated by the same software process or concern a similar condition or activity (such as authentication attempts).

Reboot requests are recorded to the system log files, which you can view with the show log command. Also, the names of any running processes that are scheduled to be shut down are changed. You can view the process names with the show system processes command.