Using Event Viewer

Event viewer enables tj administrator to gather information about hardware and software problems. The event logs are file that contains information about the events that you want to monitor. The administrator can view and set login options for event logs.
Windows Server 2003 records three types of logs in the event viewer:

> Application log - Contains information about events logged by the application or programs. The application developer decides events that are logged in the application log. For example, if an application generates any error then that information will be stored in the application log.

> Security log - Contains information about the security related events that you have specified in the audit policy. It contains event log for valid and invalid logon attempts, creating, opening, and deleting files or folder. For example, if you configure the audit policy to monitor all unsuccessful attempts made by a user to delete a particular file, then the security log will contain information about all the unsuccessful attempts made by the user to delete that file.

> System log - Contains information about events logged by Windows Server 2003 system component. The server predetermines the events that are logged in the system log. For example, at the time of installing some software, if there is any driver failure or if there is any abnormal shutdown then the information about all these events will be stored in the system log.

A computer that is running Windows Server 2003 operating system and is configured as a domain controller records two additional events:

> Directory Service log - Contains information about the events that are logged by the Windows Active Directory directory service. For example, connection problem between the servers are recorded in the directory service log.

> File Replication Service log - Contains information about events logged by Windows File Replication Service. The events logged are related to the copying of information between Domain Controller during a replication cycle. For example, the events that occur while updating the domain controller with the information about system volume changes are stored in the file replication log.

A computer running Windows Server 2003 operating system and configured as a Domain Name System (DNS) server records one additional event, which is Domain Name System log. It contains information about error or important events reported by the DNS server.

To view the application log in the Event Viewer:

1. Select Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer. The Event Viewer console appears. The Event Viewer displays different logs. We can select the required log to view the events under that log.

2. In the console tree, click Application. The list of individual application events appears in the details pane,
The Application log displays all the events related to application. The different types of event log displayed are:

> Information - Specifies the successful operation of an application

> Error - Contains information about an event, which specifies the failure operation of an application

> Warning - Provides an alert message, which may not be important now but might indicate the future problem

3. Double-click the required event to view more details about the event from the detail pane. The Event Properties dialog box appears.

The Event Properties dialog box displays the details about the selected event.

4. Click OK.