How to force a crash dump

[Bruno Seghers]

Hi,
I would like to know if there is a possibility to force a crash dump at the console of a alpha and itanium machine even if I don't have no more access to VMS (thus not with opccrash.exe).

The goal is always have a dump when a problem occur on a system, even if this problem is a total blocking of the OS.

Our hardware : GS160, ES45, Itanium RX2600

Our hardware disk configuration is : system disk mirrored on SAN (EVA) + interbuilding shadowing

Thanks for the help

Seghers Bruno
Banksys - Belgium

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

Hi Bruno,

control-p and then the command crash. On alpha. Don't know about Itan.

Wim

[Ian Miller.]

On an Itanium control P does work also.

Also you can connect to the console, navigate to the command menu and use the TC command.

[Hoff]

On OpenVMS I64 V8.2-1 and later, use CTRL/P (^P) and request a crash at the menu.

OpenVMS I64 V8.2 didn't have this mechanisms; I've had to hard-crash a hung system from the power button. Hold pressed.

As for the next step, I will generally post a note or a notebook on or near the console terminal containing this and other core operational information specific to the system. System name, serial number, model, network addresses, contact information for the system administrator and the appropriate help desk or support center organizations, and critical console operations and command sequences.

If there is a KVM involved or there is some distance or complexity involved in the configuration, I'll post what connects where, and where system and its boot disk(s) are physically located. (And I'll post where the console is on the system box.)

Stephen Hoffman
HoffmanLabs

[Andy Bustamante]

Options 2:

Install Availability Manager. It has an option to force a crash. I've crashed systems from thousands of miles away using VPN into a local management station. You also have the ability to "see" what's happening to a hung system.

http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/products/availman/index.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

Andy

[Volker Halle]

Bruno,

on OpenVMS Itanium systems, you can also request a crash from the console:

V8.2:

- type CTRL-P
- you will see the following prompt: Crash (y/n):
- just type 'y' and the system will crash


V8.2-1 or higher:

- type CTRL-P
- you will get the following output:

Interrupt Priority C

Commands:
C device Cancel Mount Verification
Q Adjust Quorum
CTRL-P Prompt for Crash
CTRL-Z Exit IPC

IPC>

- typing CTRL-P again will bring up the Crash (y/n): prompt from which you can force a crash by typing 'y'

All those methods to force a crash on a hung OpenVMS operating system only work, if the hang is not caused by hardware, but by software.

AMDS is the more 'elegant' way to force a crash. Note that it will NOT work, if the hang is at or above IPL 8, as SYS$RMDRIVER then won't work anymore.

Volker.

[Bruno Seghers]

Thanks to all for your help,

I will experiment this asap.

Best regards

Seghers Bruno