ASLMANAGER(8)             BSD System Manager's Manual            ASLMANAGER(8)

NAME
     aslmanager -- Apple System Log data life-cycle manager

SYNOPSIS
     aslmanager [-s store_dir] [-a [archive_dir]] [-ttl days]
                [-store_ttl days] [-module_ttl days] [-size max_size] [-asldb]
                [-module [name]] [-checkpoint] [-d [level]] [-dd [level]]

DESCRIPTION
     aslmanager manages rotated files and ASL data written by the syslogd
     server.  It is started automatically at various times by syslogd.  It may
     also be invoked from the command line by the superuser (root).  It man-
     ages the life-cycle of data in the ASL database, rotated log files, and
     ASL directory data stores.  Configuration information for aslmanager
     comes from the /etc/asl.conf configuration file, any ASL output module
     configuration files in the /etc/asl directory, and from command-line
     options that may be specified to override some settings found in the con-
     figuration files.  In normal operation, it first checks the ASL database
     in /var/log/asl, then it checks the files and directories specified by
     /etc/asl.conf and each ASL output module.

     If the -asldb flag is specified, then only the ASL database will be pro-
     cessed.

     If the -module flag is specified, then the ASL database will not be pro-
     cessed.  All ASL output modules, or a single module if name is specified,
     will be processed.

     If -checkpoint is specified, then aslmanager will signal syslogd to
     checkpoint files for all modules, or for a single named module, before
     processing.

     The -d flag causes aslmanager to print debug messages tracing it's
     actions as they are performed.  An integer value (1, 2, or 3) may follow
     the -d flag.  Higher values cause more fine-grained messages to be
     printed.  The default value is 1.  The -dd flag directs aslmanager to do
     a ``dry run''.  Debug messages are printed as with -d, but no actions are
     actually performed.  An optional debug level may follow the -dd flag.

   ASL DATABASE MANAGEMENT
     aslmanager scans the ASL database in /var/log/asl, or some other path
     specified by the setting of the ``store_path'' parameter in asl.conf, or
     by the path supplied following the -s flag.  Data files that are older
     than the time-to-live for the database are either archived or removed.
     Files that contain messages with explicit expire times are removed or
     archived monthly after all their contents expire.  The default 7 day
     time-to-live value may be overridden by the setting of the ``store_ttl''
     parameter in asl.conf or by supplying a value following the -store_ttl
     flag or the -ttl flag (which overrides the time-to-live for both the ASL
     database and for all ASL modules).  A time-to-live value of zero allows
     files to remain in the store with no time limit.

     A maximum size for the entire database is provided by the setting of the
     ``max_store_size'' parameter in asl.conf, or as a value following the
     -size flag.  This will cause aslmanager to archive (if enabled) and
     remove files to keep the database size below the specified limit.  The
     default value is 150000000 bytes.  A value of zero means the size is
     unlimited.  An unlimited size specification should be used with great
     caution, since a runaway process could quickly fill all available disk
     space.  Files are removed in order starting from oldest to newest.  Files
     with the same date are removed in standard lexicographic sort order by
     file name.

     Files are either removed entirely or copied to an archive directory.  If
     the -a flag is specified with no argument, files are copied to the
     /var/log/asl.archive directory.  An alternate directory path may be spec-
     ified following the -a flag.  The archive parameter setting in asl.conf
     enables or disables archiving.  The archive parameter requires a value of
     "1" to enable archiving, or a value of "0" to disable it.  An option ar-
     chive directory path may follow the "0" or "1".

   ASL OUTPUT MODULE MANAGEMENT
     For each ASL output module, or a single module specified as an argument
     following -module, aslmanager first locates all checkpoint files produced
     by syslogd for that module.  aslmanager checks all ASL directory data
     stores and all rotated log files - those with a ``rotate'' option in the
     module's configuration rules.  Checkpoint files are renamed if necessary
     to conform to the naming style specified for the file by a ``style''
     option in the module's configuration file.  aslmanager will compress the
     file if directed by a ``compress'' option, and it will move the file to a
     destination directory if a ``dest'' option is specified for the file.
     Following this, aslmanager will delete expired files.  The time-to-live
     for files is 7 days by default, but may be specified using the ``ttl''
     option for the file in the module's configuration rules.  If -module_ttl
     or -ttl are specified command line, then value specified as an argument
     is used as a time-to-live instead.  -module_ttl specifies time-to-live
     for module processing.  -ttl specifies time-to-live for both the ASL
     database and for modules.

     Finally, if the ``all_max'' option is specified for the output file,
     aslmanager checks the total size of all the rotated versions, and will
     delete them, (oldest first) to limit the total size as specified by
     ``all_max''.  When processing ASL directory data stores, aslmanager will
     similarly delete data files after the expiry of their time-to-live, and
     will delete data files (oldest first) to limit the total size as speci-
     fied by ``all_max''.

SEE ALSO
     syslogd(8), syslog(1), asl(3), asl.conf(5), syslog(3).

HISTORY
     The aslmanager utility appeared in Mac OS X 10.6.  Support for log file
     and ASL directory life-cycle management was added in OS X 10.9.

Mac OS X                       December 7, 2007                       Mac OS X