Improved way of running the AE DB Utility programs

[Michael A. Lowry]

A few months ago, Carsten_Schmitz_7883 discovered a way to force the AE DB Utility programs to write log and trace output to distinct files for each run. Here is an example ucybdbld.ini file for the AE DB Load program ucybdbld:

[GLOBAL]
language  = (E)
logging   = /dev/stdout
logcount  = 10
helplib   = uc.msl
helpcache = ALL
input     = ../db/

[TRACE]
file     = /dev/stderr
trccount = 10
database = 1
; 0=no
; 1=SQL
; 2=OPC
; 3=BindParam
; 4=data fields
...


So now I can run the program as follows:

./ucybdbld -Iucybdbld.ini -B -EREPLACE -FOT -C0001 -X/tmp/TC1.txt 1>ucybdbld_$$_log.txt 2>ucybdbld_$$_trc.txt

Log output goes to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_streamsstandard output (1) and trace output goes to standard error (2). Each stream is in turn redirected to a separate file. Inclusion of the process ID ($$) in the output file names means that a unique log and trace file will be written for each run of the program.

I also created several copies of the INI file — one for each trace level:

• ucybdbld-trace0.ini
• ucybdbld-trace1.ini
• ucybdbld-trace2.ini
• ucybdbld-trace3.ini
• ucybdbld-trace4.ini

This facilitates quick collection of traces. I just have to switch which INI file I’m using.

A similar approach can be used for ucybdbun and ucybchng.

[Matthias Schelp]

One thing to mention is, that if you implement it and don't tell your colleague that you did. He might end up with no logs at all.

Not saying this did happend to me or anybody  :-)

[Carsten Schmitz]

Not saying this did happend to me or anybody  :-)

Meh. Having logs is overrated :)

[Legacy User]

speaking from supports perspective: its not ;)

[Michael A. Lowry]

Well, I left the original INI files in place and created new ones. These programs are used as part of an [DEAD LINK https://community.automic.com/discussion/comment/31392/#Comment_31392]automated batch deployment system, so changing the existing INI files is not an option. :)

With 5 trace levels, 5 AE systems, and 3 AE DB programs (two of which are system-specific), I actually created a total of 55 new INI files.

                                                                                   

	0	1	2	3	4
EXP2	ucybdbunEXP2-trace0.ini     ucybdbldEXP2-trace0.ini	ucybdbunEXP2-trace1.ini     ucybdbldEXP2-trace1.ini	ucybdbunEXP2-trace2.ini     ucybdbldEXP2-trace2.ini	ucybdbunEXP2-trace3.ini     ucybdbldEXP2-trace3.ini	ucybdbunEXP2-trace4.ini     ucybdbldEXP2-trace4.ini
EXP	ucybdbunEXP-trace0.ini     ucybdbldEXP-trace0.ini	ucybdbunEXP-trace1.ini     ucybdbldEXP-trace1.ini	ucybdbunEXP-trace2.ini     ucybdbldEXP-trace2.ini	ucybdbunEXP-trace3.ini     ucybdbldEXP-trace3.ini	ucybdbunEXP-trace4.ini     ucybdbldEXP-trace4.ini
DEV	ucybdbunDEV-trace0.ini     ucybdbldDEV-trace0.ini	ucybdbunDEV-trace1.ini     ucybdbldDEV-trace1.ini	ucybdbunDEV-trace2.ini     ucybdbldDEV-trace2.ini	ucybdbunDEV-trace3.ini     ucybdbldDEV-trace3.ini	ucybdbunDEV-trace4.ini     ucybdbldDEV-trace4.ini
ITE	ucybdbunITE-trace0.ini     ucybdbldITE-trace0.ini	ucybdbunITE-trace1.ini     ucybdbldITE-trace1.ini	ucybdbunITE-trace2.ini     ucybdbldITE-trace2.ini	ucybdbunITE-trace3.ini     ucybdbldITE-trace3.ini	ucybdbunITE-trace4.ini     ucybdbldITE-trace4.ini
PROD	ucybdbunPROD-trace0.ini     ucybdbldPROD-trace0.ini	ucybdbunPROD-trace1.ini     ucybdbldPROD-trace1.ini	ucybdbunPROD-trace2.ini     ucybdbldPROD-trace2.ini	ucybdbunPROD-trace3.ini     ucybdbldPROD-trace3.ini	ucybdbunPROD-trace4.ini     ucybdbldPROD-trace4.ini
Common	ucybchng-trace0.ini	ucybchng-trace1.ini	ucybchng-trace2.ini	ucybchng-trace3.ini	ucybchng-trace4.ini

I will update our deployment script so that by default it uses the new files with trace level 0. I already use a variable to choose the INI file at run time based on system name; I’ll just add another variable for trace level so that it can be switched on easily to debug problems.