Using the Operator Console

Operator Console

Operator Console is a trace utility that generates comprehensive information used by Barr Systems’ developers and support staff to troubleshoot program operation. Once the program begins, data is automatically traced according to defined priorities and modules selected.

See also:


Capturing a trace

To trace activity, select the modules and set the priority level for each module. Records with a priority level less than or equal to the set priority level will display in the Operator Console.

Performance tuning: Setting the priority level higher than Informational can cause performance degradation. Because the Operator Console continues to process information after you close the utility, you must check the priority level setting before you close. If you experience any problems, we recommend changing the priority level setting to Informational.

  1. Open the Operator Console utility.

  2. On the menu bar, select Tools | Options. The Options dialog box displays.

    Options Dialog Box

  3. Select the program options to include in the trace. Under Modules, select which program options you want to display trace messages. Each module folder contains a second level of module-specific options. You can double-click a module folder or select the module folder's check box to display the module-specific options. Tracing will occur for all options that display a check mark. Use the Description box to view a description of a module-specific option.

  1. Set the priority level for the module. The console will display records that have a priority level less than or equal to the selected priority level. There are several ways to set the module's priority level.

  2. To set a module's priority, select a module, and then right-click and select a priority level or select the priority level from the Priority drop-down list.

  3. To set a selected module and its module-specific options to the same priority level, select a module folder, and then right-click and select a priority level or select the priority level from the Priority drop-down list.

  4. To set all modules and their module-specific options to the same priority level, select the desired priority level from the drop-down list, and then click Set All.

  1. Click OK to close and save changes.

Saving trace data to a log file

Complete one of the following methods to save the current trace data as a log file. These files will be created in addition to the log files automatically created during program operation, Error.bdb and LogFile.bdb.

Viewing log files

Two log files are automatically created during program operation. These files are stored in the \\Program Files\Common Files\Barr\Log folder and can be displayed when opened with the Operator Console.

Error.bdb – This file automatically logs all errors and warnings with a priority level of Critical, Warning, and Informational.

LogFile.bdb – This file automatically logs all activities less than or equal to the priority level. Generally, this file contains a much more comprehensive listing of activity messages because, in addition to errors and warnings, it also logs all normal program activity. If the Operator Console has been configured to capture a trace, the last 28,000 lines from this file are displayed when the console is opened.

As the file sizes grow, previous data is archived as ErrorBak.bdb and LogFileBak.bdb, and new data is stored in the .bdb files. You must copy the .bdb files to another folder to view these records because the files will be in use by the Operator Console.

When the LogFile.bdb grows larger than 4 MB, the current LogFileBak.bdb is deleted and the LogFile.bdb is renamed LogFileBak.bdb. A new LogFile.bdb is then created.

When opening a log file in Operator Console, it will open in a read-only format and the stop and go functions will not be available. Complete the following steps to open a log file.

  1. Open the Operator Console utility.

  2. Click the Open button on the toolbar, or select File | Open on the menu bar.

  3. From the Open dialog box, select the desired log file and click Open. You will be given the option of filtering the log file based on the current settings selected on the Options dialog box.

You cannot add new trace data to a log file that has been saved and closed.

Viewing message details

The Message Details option allows the user to view the entire text of an Operator Console message. Operator Console messages may only display a portion of the message. The Message Details dialog box also provides Help buttons that link directly to the Help and the Knowledge Base system.

Open the Message Details dialog box by doing one of the following.

Start and stop tracing data

Use the menu or toolbar to start and stop tracing data.

To start tracing data

When the Operator Console starts, it is tracing data based on the settings in the Options dialog box.

To stop tracing data

Pausing and resuming the console scroll

Use the menu or toolbar to pause and resume the console scroll.

To pause the console scroll

To resume the console scroll

Searching the trace data

You can search for text strings in the information displayed in the console window. For example, you can search for text in the message, a specific module, or a message number.

Complete the following steps to search for a text string.

  1. On the menu bar, select Edit | Find.

  2. Enter the text to search for and select the search Direction. You can also select Match case if desired.

  3. Click Find Next.