Common Base Event structure
A Common Base Event is a common structure for an event. It defines common fields, the values that these fields can take, and the exact meanings of these values for an event.
The Common Base Event contains several structural elements.
These elements include:
- Common header information
- Component identification, both source and reporter
- Situation information
- Message data
- Extended data
- Context data
- Associated events and association engine
The following table presents a summary of all the fields in the Common Base Event and their usage requirements for problem determination events.
| Field name | Log events | Base specification |
|---|---|---|
| Version | Required | Required |
| creationTime | Required | Required |
| severity | Required | Optional |
| Msg | Required | Optional |
| sourceComponentId* | Required | Required |
| sourceComponentId.location | Required | Required |
| sourceComponentId.locationType | Required | Required |
| sourceComponentId.component | Required | Required |
| sourceComponentId.subComponent | Required | Required |
| sourceComponentId.componentIdType | Required | Required |
| sourceComponentId.componentType | Required | Required |
| sourceComponentId.application | Recommended | Optional |
| sourceComponentId.instanceId | Recommended | Optional |
| sourceComponentId.processId | Recommended | Optional |
| sourceComponentId.threadId | Recommended | Optional |
| sourceComponentId.executionEnvironment | Optional | Optional |
| situation* | Required | Required |
| situation.categoryName | Required | Required |
| situation.situationType* | Required | Required |
| situation.situationType.reasoningScope | Required | Required |
| situation.situationType.(specific Situation Type elements) | Required | Required |
| msgDataElement* | Recommended | Optional |
| msgDataElement .msgId | Recommended | Optional |
| msgDataElement .msgIdType | Recommended | Optional |
| msgDataElement .msgCatalogId | Recommended | Optional |
| msgDataElement .msgCatalogTokens | Recommended | Optional |
| msgDataElement .msgCatalog | Recommended | Optional |
| msgDataElement .msgCatalogType | Recommended | Optional |
| msgDataElement .msgLocale | Recommended | Optional |
| extensionName | Recommended | Optional |
| localInstanceId | Optional | Optional |
| globalInstanceId | Optional | Optional |
| priority | Discouraged | Optional |
| repeatCount | Optional | Optional |
| elapsedTime | Optional | Optional |
| sequenceNumber | Optional | Optional |
| reporterComponentId* | Optional | Optional |
| reporterComponentId.location | Required (2) | Required (2) |
| reporterComponentId.locationType | Required (2) | Required (2) |
| reporterComponentId.component | Required (2) | Required (2) |
| reporterComponentId.subComponent | Required (2) | Required (2) |
| reporterComponentId.componentIdType | Required (2) | Required (2) |
| reporterComponentId.componentType | Required (2) | Required (2) |
| reporterComponentId.instanceId | Optional | Optional |
| reporterComponentId.processId | Optional | Optional |
| reporterComponentId.threadId | Optional | Optional |
| reporterComponentId.application | Optional | Optional |
| reporterComponentId.executionEnvironment | Optional | Optional |
| extendedDataElements* | Note 3 | Optional |
| contextDataElements* | Note 4 | Optional |
| associatedEvents* | Note 5 | Optional |
- Items followed by an asterisk (*) are elements that consist of sub elements and attributes. The fields in those elements are listed in the table directly following the parent element name.
- Some of the elements are optional, but when included, they include sub elements and attributes that are required. For example, the reporterComponentId element has a ComponentIdentification type. The component attribute in ComponentIdentification is required. Therefore, the reporterComponentId.component attribute is required, but only when the reporterComponentId parent element is included.
- The extendedDataElements element can be included multiple times to supply extended data information. See the Extended data section for more information on required and recommended extended data element values.
- The contextDataElements element can be included multiple times to supply context data information.
- The associatedEvents element can be included multiple times to supply correlation data. No recommended uses of this element exist for the producers of problem determination data, and the use of this element is discouraged.