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Cisco Meraki Documentation

MS Event Log Entries and Definitions

If an MS switch is in use on a given network, the event log can be a handy tool to monitor various switching events.

The event log reports the following switch-specific event types:

  • Cable test
  • OSPF
  • Port bounce
  • Port Status Change
  • Port RSTP Change
  • Power supply inserted/removed
  • SFP Module inserted/removed
  • Sticky MAC whitelist limit reached
  • STP BPDU guard activated
  • STP BPDU sender conflict
  • STP loop guard activated
  • STP root guard activated
  • Temperature Alert

Cable test

Indicates that the cable test live tool was run on the specified port.

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OSPF

OSPF event logs include information on OSPF neighborship states, where the possible states are:

  • Init
    • Initial stage of the OSPF neighborship establishment process. The switch received an OSPF hello from its neighbor but the receiving switch's "router ID" was not included in the hello packet.
  • Up
    • Final stage of a successful OSPF neighborship establishment. At this stage, the OSPF neighbors are fully adjacent and successfully share routes.
  • Down
    • Seen when the neighborship is torn down.

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Port bounce

This message is logged when the Cycle port live tool is run to bounce a port.

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Port Status Change

Port status changes reflect the physical level of the port. The event log entry will display the new speed of the port vs the old speed or state. A down port reflects there is no link established with the client. 

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Port RSTP Change

Port RSTP role changes reflect the RSTP role of the port. If the MS switch is configured to use RSTP, an entry will appear in the event log whenever a port’s RSTP role changes. The event log entry will display the old and new roles, where the possible roles are:

  • Root - Ports on non-root switches with best cost path to root bridge. These ports forward data to the root bridge.
  • Designated - Ports on root and designated switches. All ports on the root bridge will be designated.
  • Alternate - Port receives BPDUs from another switch but remains in a blocked state. 
  • Backup - Port receives BPDUs from its own switch but remains in a blocked state.
  • Disabled - Port is no longer active. 

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Power supply inserted/removed

Power supply insertion/removal messages are logged when a switch detects the presence or loss of a power supply. This event log is specific to models with an external power supply. These messages may also be triggered when the switch reboots and re-discovers the power supplies.

The following events of this type may occur:

  • Power supply inserted
    • The serial number of the power supply unit.
    • The slot the power supply unit was inserted/detected in the switch.
  • Power supply removed
    • The serial number of the power supply unit.
    • The slot the power supply unit was removed from.

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SFP Module Inserted/Removed

SFP module entries are the result in the addition or removal of an SFP Module to the MS switch. The "SFP module inserted" event can also be triggered when the switch reboots and re-discovers the SFP modules.

The following events of this type may occur:

  • SFP Module Inserted
    The “SFP Module Inserted” event will include:
    • The Serial number of the SFP module.
    • The port the SFP module was inserted into on the switch.
    • The manufacturer of the SFP module.
    • The connector type of the SFP module.
    • The Speed supported by the SFP module.
    • The part number of the SFP module.
  • SFP Module Removed
    ​The “SFP Module Removed" event log will include:
    • The switch port the module was removed from.

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Sticky MAC whitelist limit reached

Logged when the number of MAC entries learnt on the specified port exceeds the configured "Sticky MAC whitelist size" limit. When this limit is exceeded, all subsequent devices will be denied access to this port.  

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STP root bridge elected

Notification of when the current root has held the title for > 10 seconds

STP root status released

Notification of transitions to a new root bridge where the previous root had been known for > 10 seconds

STP BPDU delay monitor

Event log to track delay in BPDUs if BPDU interval greater than 2 seconds

  • This monitors both the arrival time of BPDUs on non-designated ports, as well as transmitting time of BPDUs on designated ports

As of MS 14, this single event has been divided in two to provide further clarity:

  • Broadcast STP BPDU Delay Monitor (Delays in transmitting BPDUs)
  • Received STP BPDU Delay Monitor (Delays in receiving BPDUs)

STP BPDU guard activated

Logged when BPDU guard is enabled on a port and the switch receives an STP BPDU on that port. The port will also start discarding packets received on the port. In addition, the log will also specify the MAC address of the device from which a BPDU was received.

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STP BPDU sender conflict

As part of STP and LAN anomaly detection introduced in MS 10 firmware, STP BPDU sender conflict messages are logged when the following conditions are met for a switch port:

  • The port is in RSTP (not legacy STP) mode
  • The port is full duplex
  • Multiple BPDUs are received within a small window that identify different sending ports
  • The port link state has not changed between receiving such BPDUs

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STP loop guard activated

Loop guard, introduced in MS 10 firmware, serves as an added layer of protection against L2 forwarding loops. If BPDU's are not received on a loop guard enabled non-designated port, the port is blocked. Useful to avoid erroneous STP port transitions to forwarding due to missed BPDU's.

STP root guard activated

Logged when a port configured for root guard receives a BPDU frame with a bridge priority lower than that of the current root switch. The port will also start discading packets received on the port. In addition, the log will also specify the MAC address of the device from which the superior BPDU was received.

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Temperature Alert

Logged when critical temperature thresholds are reached. 

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