Crash dump OpenVMS AXP V6.2

[geir_2]

Hi,

To night our system crashed suddenly crashed at 23:30. I tried to read the error log, but it's quite difficult to get some useful information from it. If someone want to read the output I have included it below:

I will appreciate advise.

Thanks

geir

[geir_2]

Hi,

The system didn't save a crash dump file. How is it possible to enable creation of crash dump file, when the system crash???
Thanks

PS:
What's a normal size of the crash dump file. I assume it's huge.

[Karl Rohwedder]

With the SYSGEN parameter DUMPSTYLE you are able to control what is being dumped (all memory -> huge dumpfile or selective -> smaller dumpfile). The dumpfile can be on another disk.

If you habe no entry in MODPARAMS.DAT Autogen should tell you at the end of its report file, what size the dumpfile should have.

If you habe no dumpfile, VMS can dump into the PAGEFILE.

Pls. see the System Managers Manual for details.

You crash was a MACHINECHK, this may point at some hardware error.

regards Kalle

[Ian Miller.]

Do you know why no crash was created?
Is there a dump file?

[Jan van den Ende]

Geir,

a crash dump file is NOT created during a crash.
That is reasonable: IF the system crashes, there is ample reason NOT to trust the full availability of the file handling mechanisms.

If a dump is to be written, as much as possible has to be pre-arranged, and as little as possible of OS functionality should be used.
So, the file has to be pre-allocated, and the various variables (size, exact location, whatever else may be needed) get loaded into memory. The writing of the dump itself bypasses the file system, and uses a very basic IO mechanism directly to the (already known) exact hardware locations.
(that is why the dumpfile MUST exist before the bootstrap, and a dumpfile should NOT be moved or deleted: if a dump gets written, it is to the disk positions that were valid DURING boot. If those positions are freed, they get re-used. But a dump will overwrite those positions!)

In short: if you might need a dump, you should prepare for that ahead of time.

See the System Managers Manual (like Kalle suggested) for instruntions about HOW to da that. Or maybe, use those to check if you already have a dump, and how to find it.

Success.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe

[Richard Brodie_1]

DECevent might be able to decode the error log entry.

[geir_2]

Hi,

Thanks for the answers. It was not created a dump file when the system crashed. I'm not sure how important this file is, maybe I should drop it??

Is it possible to see that the reason for the crash dump was related to the hardware
MACHINECHK?? I thought the reason was software related (NTP TimeStamp). But it's only a guess.


We also had some trouble with DECnet, after the system crash. Any ideas??

Thanks

[Ian Miller.]

What is value of DUMPSTYLE system parameter?
The file SYS$SYSTEM:SYSDUMP.DMP should exist so its available for a crash dump if needed.

Machine Check crash dumps are often but not exclusively associated with hardware problems.
Are there any hardware errors in the error log immediately before the crash entry?

Is there a SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$ERRLOG.DMP file?
This may contain additional error log entries.
Use SDA command CLUE ERRLOG to extract them.

[Arch_Muthiah]

Geir,

You can control dump-file size and creation by AUTOGEN symbols DUMPSTYLE and DUMPFILE in the computer's MODPARAMS.DAT file.

Usually when system is ---crashing---, the system will notify the other nodes (if it is a cluster node) with message "I am going crash - and the PANIC string". And it will immly take the snapshot of MAIN memory (all the status details about the process/ objects/program/application were running at that time). So there won't be any physical DUMP files created when system completes the Crash.

Then when we Reboot the system abain, the boot process will check the details about previous system shutdown and availablity of snapshot files. If it finds that previous shutdown was not normal, and there is a snapshot files, then it will start build the DUMP file using the information in the snapshot file and after that system will continue its booting process. After system up, we can see the DUMP file in the system.

USing the DUMP file, we can find what are all the process/programs(local or network) were running before the system crash, what instructions caused the system to crash, using the values in stacks, frame pointer, and program counter.


Archunan

[Jan van den Ende]

Re Archunan,


the system will notify the other nodes (if it is a cluster node) with message "I am going crash - and the PANIC string". And it will immly take the snapshot of MAIN memory (all the status details about the process/ objects/program/application were running at that time). So there won't be any physical DUMP files created when system completes the Crash.

Then when we Reboot the system abain, the boot process will check the details about previous system shutdown and availablity of snapshot files. If it finds that previous shutdown was not normal, and there is a snapshot files, then it will start build the DUMP file using the information in the snapshot file


This is new to me!

Do you have any pointers to confirm this?

I would be VERY interested, and guaranteed to spend several hours getting all details!

Please quench my doubts.

Proost.

Have one on me.

jpe