The SAM log is the most important log in OpCon. SAM, or Schedule Activity Monitor, is the central process that runs the automation engine. It handles scheduling, communicates with agents, processes events, and manages jobs. Because SAM touches everything, its log is the most comprehensive source of information when something goes wrong.
What the SAM Log Contains
The SAM log records all successful processing information from the SAM process, including:
- Schedule and job starts and completions
- OpCon event processing, from any source (Self Service, Notification Manager, job triggers, messaging)
- Configuration information when SAM starts up or regenerates
- Agent communication summaries
How to Read the SAM Log
The SAM log is written top-down, with the most recent entries at the bottom. When troubleshooting a specific event or failure, scrolling to the bottom is usually the fastest approach, especially if you can reproduce the issue and then immediately check the log.
A Note on SAM Log Locking
If the SAM.log is locked when SAM starts up, SAM writes to the Critical.log and the Windows Application Event Log, and then terminates immediately. This makes the Critical log worth checking first if SAM fails to start. If the SAM.log becomes locked while SAM is already running, SAM continues to run but writes only to the Critical log, not the Application Event Log.
Solution Manager vs. Enterprise Manager
Both Enterprise Manager and Solution Manager can display the SAM log, but they behave differently:
- Enterprise Manager reads the log files directly from the server and can update in near real time. Entries can scroll past before you have a chance to capture them.
- Solution Manager displays the log as a snapshot at the time you open it.
When to Use the SAM Log
Start with the SAM log any time you are investigating:
- A job that failed or did not run as expected
- An event that was rejected or did not fire
- Unexpected schedule behavior
- Anything involving jobs, schedules, or event processing
If the SAM log points toward a specific subsystem, that is your cue to move to the relevant specialized log for more detail.