Configure first failure data capture log file purges

The first failure data capture (FFDC) log file saves information that is generated from a processing failure. These files are deleted after a maximum number of days has passed. The captured data is saved in a log file for analyzing the problem.

The first failure data capture (FFDC) feature preserves the information that is generated from a processing failure and returns control to the affected engines. The captured data is saved in a log file for analyzing the problem. FFDC is intended primarily for use by IBM Service. FFDC instantly collects events and errors that occur during the WebSphere Application Server runtime. The information is captured as it occurs and is written to a log file that can be analyzed by an IBM Service representative. The data is uniquely identified for the servant region that produced the exception.

The FFDC configuration properties files are located in the properties directory under the Application Server product installation. Set the ExceptionFileMaximumAge property to the same value in all three files: ffdcRun.properties, ffdcStart.properties, and ffdcStop.properties. You can set the ExceptionFileMaximumAge property to configure the amount of days between purging the FFDC log files. The value of the ExceptionFileMaximumAge property must be a positive number. The FFDC feature does not affect the performance of the Application Server product.

Overview

Procedure

1. Open the ffdcRun.properties file.

   The file is located in the profile_root/properties directory.

2. Change the value for the ExceptionFileMaximumAge property to the number of days between the FFDC log file purges. The value of the ExceptionFileMaximumAge property must be a positive number. The default is seven days. For example, ExceptionFileMaximumAge = 3 sets the default time to three days. The FFDC log file is purged after three days.

3. Save the ffdcRun.properties file and exit.

4. Repeat the previous steps to modify the ffdcStart.properties and ffdcStop.properties files.

Results

The FFDC file management function removes the FFDC log files that have reached the maximum age and generates a message in the SystemOut.log file.