Email log if error and erase?

[cascadmin]

I'm just wondering if anyone has set up a script on their server to have retrospect email the current log on error instead of the ambiguous emails that are currently sent using the python script? If there's an error currently, I have to log in with remote desktop, open the log, and because the connection isn't great, I copy that into a text file and open that on my computer. I'd like to avoid all those steps so I can be more easily proactive.

 

Part of this would be erasing the log when this got sent, so that the next time I would only be seeing current log entries.

 

I'd love to get pointers on this, or if someone has something similar set up, I'd love to see your script.

 

Thanks for ideas, Ian

Edited May 2, 2008 by Guest
Added the erasing part of the question

[rhwalker]

Ian,

 

Issues with this:

 

The log file is at:

/Library/Preferences/Retrospect/Operations\ Log

 

First, this file, which is generally a text file, has odd markers/placeholders into Retrospect's internal database for volume names, script names, etc., so it's not too useful without that information being filled in. There is no way to get those markers filled in with the present Retrospect app, and there's no way to get Retrospect to pass that information to a shell script or AppleScript. Sigh.

 

Second, this file is a circular buffer, and you can't get Retrospect to tell you where it starts or where it stops. If it is starting from a clean log, well, it starts at the top, but the circular buffer pointer changes with time.

 

Third, there's no way to tell Retrospect (if running) to erase the log. If Retrospect is not running, you could, of course, truncate the log by:

cat < /dev/null > /Library/Preferences/Retrospect/Operations\ Log

 

Bottom line, it's a hopeless cause with the current Retrospect app. Put in your feature request - this is something that has been requested by many people over the years.

 

Emailing the log file itself would be rather trivial, though, just add a line in the AppleScript python version. It's rather easy to find where the email is sent.

 

Russ

[cascadmin]

Ah, and now what I read about this previously makes sense. I guess it had to be in relation to something I was trying to do to understand that. Hmm. Makes sense that Retrospect would have to fill in some of that data, I just wish they would put it all in the log as plaintext. I also wish that there was some way to get a useful email of information for each error configureable through the server app.

 

As it is, I get the same ambiguous message whether it's a miscount in the amount of messages backed up in somebody's email, which happens every time Mail is open and being used while being backed up, or if there were 400 read errors that could indicate something I should jump on.

 

I will definitely submit that as a feature request. Anyone have any pointers on making what is currently available more useful?

 

Thanks, Ian

[rhwalker]

I will definitely submit that as a feature request. Anyone have any pointers on making what is currently available more useful?

I suggest that you look in the threads regarding feature requests:

Feature Requests

 

The current app is essentially unchanged on this point since at least 1992, when we started using Retrospect 2.0 on our long-retired ASIP server running on MacOS 7.1. The current python script version has been pretty stable, but there have been some minor bug fixes.

 

All of the older feature requests are there at the link I noted; jump on the bandwagon, but do it early because the beta is supposedly going to be released later this year, which implies a feature freeze in the very near future, if it hasn't happened already.

 

Russ