Oracle | Attention Log

Oracle Attention Log Version 21c and 26ai

General Information

Library Note

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The best Oracle News for FY2026

Oracle Database 26ai will be available on generic Linux platforms in January and soon on AIX and Windows

Purpose

The following text is in the Oracle 21c online docs:

The attention log is a structured, externally modifiable file that contains information about critical and highly visible database events. Use the attention log to quickly access information about critical events that need action.

There is one attention log for each database instance. The attention log contains a pre-determined, translatable series of messages, with one message for each event. Some important attributes of a message are as follows:

Attention ID: A unique identifier for the message
Attention type: The type of attention message. Possible values are Error, Warning, Notification, or Additional information. The attention type can be modified dynamically
Message text
Urgency: Possible values are Immediate, Soon, Deferrable, or Information
Scope: Possible values are Session, Process, PDB Instance, CDB Instance, CDB Cluster, PDB (for issues in persistent storage that a database restart will not fix), or CDB (for issues in persistent storage that a database restart will not fix)
Target user: The user who must act on this attention log message. Possible values are Clusterware Admin, CDB admin, or PDB admin
Cause
Action

From an Oracle DBA standpoint ... rather than reviewing a massive amount of possibly irrelevant details in the alert log ... the attention log filters out what are likely to be the most critical matters that require review.

Demo (21c)

[oracle@test21 log]$ pwd /u01/app/oracle/product/23ai/diag/rdbms/free/free/log [oracle@test21 log]$ ls attention attention.log ddl debug debug.log hcs hcs_test21db.log imdb test [oracle@test21 log]$ more attention.log { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 65129)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:04:18.224+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 65992)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:06:00.820+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 66162)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:06:23.521+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 68112)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:09:46.677+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (restrict) (OS id: 68397)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:10:10.507+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 70673)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:13:27.837+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 71778)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:14:08.246+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 72636)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:16:57.367+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 74328)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:17:37.630+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 79507)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by oraagent.bin@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:20:14.374+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 80290)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:20:51.496+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 85804)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by oraagent.bin@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:23:53.238+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 86612)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-11T18:24:29.881+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 30583)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2020-12-20T13:29:24.679+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 32811)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2020-12-20T13:29:58.386+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 31931)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2021-01-05T05:35:23.601+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 36591)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2021-01-05T05:35:57.387+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Shutting down ORACLE instance (immediate) (OS id: 19263)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Shutdown is initiated by sqlplus@test21 (TNS V1-V3). ", "CAUSE" : "A command to shutdown the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1001", "TIME" : "2021-01-16T13:31:11.879+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 24042)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2021-01-16T13:31:56.142+00:00" } { "ERROR" : "GEN0 (ospid: 24229): terminating the instance due to ORA error 495", "URGENCY" : "IMMEDIATE", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "The instance termination routine was called", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for more information relating to instance termination rectify the error and restart the instance", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1003", "TIME" : "2021-01-17T02:19:27.281+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 40569)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2021-01-17T02:19:40.353+00:00" } { "ERROR" : "GEN0 (ospid: 40703): terminating the instance due to ORA error 495", "URGENCY" : "IMMEDIATE", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "The instance termination routine was called", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for more information relating to instance termination rectify the error and restart the instance", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1003", "TIME" : "2021-01-17T02:21:29.637+00:00" } { "NOTIFICATION" : "Starting ORACLE instance (normal) (OS id: 43575)", "URGENCY" : "INFO", "INFO" : "Additional Information Not Available", "CAUSE" : "A command to startup the instance was executed", "ACTION" : "Check alert log for progress and completion of command", "CLASS" : "CDB Instance / CDB ADMINISTRATOR / AL-1000", "TIME" : "2021-01-17T02:21:40.683+00:00" } [oracle@test21 log]$

Demo (new 23ai)

conn / as sysdba SELECT inst_id, name, value FROM gv_$diag_info ORDER BY 1,2; INST_ID NAME VALUE -------- ---------------------- -------------------------------------------------------- 1 ADR Base C:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI 1 ADR Home C:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI\diag\rdbms\free\free 1 Active Incident Count 0 1 Active Problem Count 0 1 Attention Log C\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI\diag\rdbms\free\free\trace\ attention_free.log 1 Default Trace File C:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI\diag\rdbms\free\free\trace\ free_ora_23916.trc 1 Diag Alert C:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI\diag\rdbms\free\free\alert 1 Diag Cdump C:\app\oracle\product\23ai\diag\rdbms\free\free\cdump 1 Diag Enabled TRUE 1 Diag Incident C:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI\diag\rdbms\free\free\incident 1 Diag Trace C:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI\diag\rdbms\free\free\trace 1 Health Monitor C:\APP\ORACLE\PRODUCT\23AI\diag\rdbms\free\free\hm 1 ORACLE_HOME C:\app\oracle\product\23ai\dbhomeFree desc v_$diag_attention Name Type --------------------------- --------------------------- ORIGINATING_TIMESTAMP TIMESTAMP(9) WITH TIME ZONE NORMALIZED_TIMESTAMP TIMESTAMP(9) WITH TIME ZONE ORGANIZATION_ID VARCHAR2(67) COMPONENT_ID VARCHAR2(67) HOST_ID VARCHAR2(67) HOST_ADDRESS VARCHAR2(49) MESSAGE_TYPE NUMBER MESSAGE_LEVEL NUMBER MESSAGE_ID VARCHAR2(67) MESSAGE_GROUP VARCHAR2(67) CLIENT_ID VARCHAR2(67) MODULE_ID VARCHAR2(67) PROCESS_ID VARCHAR2(35) THREAD_ID VARCHAR2(67) USER_ID VARCHAR2(131) INSTANCE_ID VARCHAR2(67) DETAILED_LOCATION VARCHAR2(163) UPSTREAM_COMP_ID VARCHAR2(103) DOWNSTREAM_COMP_ID VARCHAR2(103) EXECUTION_CONTEXT_ID VARCHAR2(103) EXECUTION_CONTEXT_SEQUENCE NUMBER ERROR_INSTANCE_ID NUMBER ERROR_INSTANCE_SEQUENCE NUMBER MESSAGE_TEXT VARCHAR2(2051) MESSAGE_ARGUMENTS VARCHAR2(515) SUPPLEMENTAL_ATTRIBUTES VARCHAR2(515) SUPPLEMENTAL_DETAILS VARCHAR2(515) PARTITION NUMBER RECORD_ID NUMBER FILENAME VARCHAR2(515) LOG_NAME VARCHAR2(67) PROBLEM_KEY VARCHAR2(553) VERSION NUMBER CON_UID NUMBER CONTAINER_ID NUMBER CONTAINER_NAME VARCHAR2(67) ATTENTION_ID NUMBER ID_SUFFIX VARCHAR2(67) OPERATION_ID VARCHAR2(67) CAUSE_TEXT VARCHAR2(2051) ACTION_TEXT VARCHAR2(2051) ORACLE_PROCESS_ID NUMBER DATABASE_ID VARCHAR2(33) SQL_ID VARCHAR2(16) SESSION_ID VARCHAR2(19) IMPACT_ID VARCHAR2(35) IMPACT_SCOPE VARCHAR2(35) TARGET_USER VARCHAR2(35) CALL_STACK VARCHAR2(1027) FLAGS NUMBER URGENCY VARCHAR2(19) START_VERSION VARCHAR2(19) SECURITY_LABEL VARCHAR2(19) CON_ID NUMBER SELECT impact_scope, target_user, COUNT(*) FROM v_$diag_attention GROUP BY impact_scope, target_user ORDER BY 1,2; IMPACT_SCOPE TARGET_USER COUNT(*) ------------- --------------------- -------- CDB Instance CDB ADMINISTRATOR 344 CDB Instance SERVER ADMINISTRATOR 28608 PDB Instance PDB ADMINISTRATOR 8 SELECT cause_text, action_text FROM v_$diag_attention WHERE rownum = 1; CAUSE_TEXT ACTION_TEXT ----------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- The parameter PARALLEL_MAX_SERVERS is Alter the parameter PARALLEL_MAX_SERVERS less than the number of parallel servers to a value greater than the maximum degree required for transaction recovery. parallelism specified using FAST_START_PARALLEL_ROLLBACK (refer to the parameter documentation) or _TRANSACTION_RECOVERY_SERVERS value (see INFO).