Specifying the ErrorContext Element

In SunSystems releases before v5.2.1, SSC controlled error handling. This has been enhanced from version 5.2.1 onwards, and now allows you to control it as and when required. A layered approach is adopted in which a system-wide set of default SSC error handling settings (controlled by the SunSystems administrator) can be overridden as required by an individual user, subject to access security rights.

SSC uses any elements specified in the ErrorContext element as a set of runtime overrides on a payload-by-payload basis. You can control both the message types returned in the output payload and the level of detail reported. Typically, if you are creating a new payload or running a payload for a component that is unfamiliar to you, you might choose to have all messages returned. Once you are happy that the payload is running successfully, you can choose to have SSC report only errors with perhaps a minimal level of detail reported.

If you omit the ErrorContext element from the input payload, SSC uses the system-wide installation defaults. That is, those that your system administrator has set up in the SunSystems Audit Viewer (SSCAVW) or the Configuration Manager (CGM) functions.

If you are an existing SunSystems customer and have upgraded from SunSystems v5.1.n, you do not need to change your payloads to run on SunSystems v5.2.1 onwards.

If you are a third party developer, the format in which runtime messages appear in the output payload has changed significantly from that in SunSystems v5.1.n. If you want to take advantage of the new features in your applications, you must amend your existing applications to be compatible with SunSystems v5.2.1 onwards.

As an interim solution, set the <CompatibilityMode> element value to 1. This forces SSC to generate runtime messages in the latest format.

You should do this in each payload, as client site system administrators may have retained the system default (0) which forces all messages to appear in the v5.2.n format.

Using the ErrorContext element

This high level element contains the elements that control various aspects of error messaging and logging. The following shows the structure of the ErrorContext element:

<ErrorContext>
        <ErrorOutput></ErrorOutput>
        <ErrorThreshold></ErrorThreshold>
</ErrorContext>

ErrorOutput

Overrides the SSC default for the amount of message detail displayed or generated by SSC whenever a message is sent:

Set to 0 to show or generate messages with a limited level of detail
Set to 1 to show or generate messages with a normal level of detail
Set to 2 to show or generate messages with an extended level of detail
Set to 3 to show or generate messages with a debug level of detial.

For example, <ErrorOutput>2</ErrorOutput>

The installation default is 1 - to show or generate messages with a normal level of detail. This setting provides a sufficient level of detail to allow you to quickly identify the cause of most errors. See your system administrator to find out the current detail setting for your installation.

Note: When SSC executes a SunSystems function, it has limited control over the amount of message detail available for display. If the function returns control to SSC with an error message, only the details that the function passes back are available. In these situations, setting the <ErrorOutput> value to show more message detail may have little or no effect.

You can find sample error messages illustrating the effects of these settings in the How Messages are Reported section of Troubleshooting and Debugging.

ErrorThreshold

Overrides the SSC default for messages types that are written to the output payload:

Set to 0 to include warning and error message
Set to 1 to include error messages only. This is the installation default.

For example, <ErrorThreshold>1</ErrorThreshold>

See your system administrator to find out the current default setting for your installation.

Note: The 'Report only errors' runtime parameter overrides the Suppress Default Message for Errors value set in Configuration Manager. That is, the Suppress Default Message for Errors set in Configuration Manager is ignored by the Journal component and the 'Report only errors' runtime parameter is used instead.