1) Purpose

To safely verify that a workflow (e.g., Scan) is progressing, without interrupting it, using process inspection and log monitoring.

2) Scope

Applies to SFArchive systems where workflows are executed by:

  • NxWorkflow (systemd service) which launches
  • NxWorkflowEngine -Q<workflowID>

3) Prerequisites / Access

  • SSH access to the node
  • A user with sudo privileges

4) Procedure

Step 1 — Become root (if required)
sudo su
Step 2 — Confirm workflow services/processes are running

Check for the workflow service and engines:

ps -ef | grep NxWorkflow  

Expected

  • A NxWorkflow process (often -B background)
  • One or more NxWorkflowEngine -Q<id> processes (e.g., -Q2, -Q3)
Step 3 — Locate the most recent workflow log

Go to logs directory:

cd /usr/share/SFS/logs

List newest files at bottom:

ls -lrt

Identify the newest matching file:

  • NxWorkflow_<workflowId>_<pid>.log
Step 4 — Tail the workflow log live
tail -f NxWorkflow_<workflowId>_<pid>.log

Interpretation guide

  • Scanning <path> = directory traversal progressing
  • scanObject <file> ... = enumerating objects
  • <file> exists in the current build table. = already indexed/known; not re-archived
  • Long gaps around large media files can be normal (checksum/IO)
Step 5 — Confirm forward progress without restarting

If log output is slow:

  • Check CPU use (engine busy is a good sign):
    • top
  • Check log file size changes:
    • ls -l NxWorkflow_<workflowId>_<pid>.log

Rule

  • Do notrestart workflow if:
    • log timestamps are advancing occasionally, or
    • file size is growing, or
    • engine CPU is active
Step 6 — After scan completes, verify Queue behavior

Once the scan is finished, work should appear in Queue (NxUI) only then. If you have CLI-only access, confirm NxQueue is running:

ps -ef | grep NxQueue  

(Per the manual, the queue service polls nxn_queue and launches jobs when resources allow.)

5) Escalation / When to investigate deeper

Escalate from “monitor” to “investigate” when:

  • The engine process disappears unexpectedly
  • The workflow log shows repeated errors
  • The log file stops growing and timestamps don’t advance for an extended period and CPU is idle

6) Do-Not-Do (Safety)

  • Do not restart NxWorkflow / NxWorkflowEngine mid-scan unless you accept restarting the scan process.
  • Do not assume “not in queue” means failure during Scan workflows.