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OpenVMS System Manager's Manual

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For more information about CLUE commands, see the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual.

15.9 Copying System Dump Files to Tape or Disk

If your system fails, make a copy of the contents of the system dump file and contact your Digital support representative. You can use the Backup utility (BACKUP) to create save sets containing system dump files on magnetic tape or disk. However, when using BACKUP to copy system dump files, you must specify the /IGNORE=(NOBACKUP,INTERLOCK) qualifier for the following reasons:

For more information on using BACKUP, see Chapter 10. For information on BACKUP commands, see the BACKUP section in the OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual.

Digital recommends that you use the following procedure to copy your system dump file:

  1. Use the SDA command COPY to make a copy of the system dump file.
  2. Use BACKUP to save that copy on tape or disk.

This procedure avoids issues with BACKUP qualifiers and reduces the amount of data written to tape or disk because the SDA command COPY copies only blocks in the system dump file that are actually used.

15.10 Writing the System Dump File to an Alternative Disk

You can write the system dump file to a device other than the system disk on OpenVMS systems. This feature is especially useful in large-memory systems and in clusters with common system disks where sufficient disk space, on one disk, is not always available to support customer dumpfile requirements.

Requirements for writing the dump file off the system disk (DOSD) are somewhat different on VAX and Alpha systems. On both systems, however, you must correctly enable the DUMPSTYLE system parameter to enable the bugcheck code to write the system dump file to an alternate device.

The following sections describe the requirements for writing DOSD on Alpha and VAX systems.

15.10.1 DOSD Requirements on Alpha Systems

On Alpha systems, the requirements for writing the DOSD are the following:

How to Perform This Task

To designate the dump device with the DUMP_DEV environment variable, and enable the DUMPSTYLE system parameter, follow these steps:

  1. Display the value of BOOTDEF_DEV; for example: 
    >>> SHOW BOOTDEF_DEV

    BOOTDEF_DEV             dub204.7.0.4.3,dua204.4.0.2.3
  2. Display the devices on the system as follows: 
    >>> SHOW DEVICES

    Resetting IO subsystem... 
 
dua204.4.0.2.3     $4$DUA204 (RED70A)        RA72 
dua206.4.0.2.3     $4$DUA206 (RED70A)        RA72 
dua208.4.0.2.3     $4$DUA208 (RED70A)        RA72 
 
polling for units on cixcd1, slot 4, xmi0... 
 
dub204.7.0.4.3     $4$DUA204 (GRN70A)        RA72 
dub206.7.0.4.3     $4$DUA206 (GRN70A)        RA72 
dub208.7.0.4.3     $4$DUA208 (GRN70A)        RA72 
>>>

    In this example:
  3. To provide two paths to the system disk, with the dump disk as DUA208 (also with two paths), set DUMP_DEV as follows: 
    >>> SET DUMP_DEV dua208.4.0.2.3,dub208.4.0.4.3,dub204.7.0.4.3,dua204.4.0.2.3

    In this example, dua208.4.0.2.3 and dub208.4.0.4.3 are paths to the dump device; dub204.7.0.4.3 and dua204.4.0.2.3 are paths to the boot device.

    Note

    The system chooses the first valid device that it finds in the list as the dump device. Therefore, the dump disk path entries must appear before the system disk entries in the list.
  4. Display all environment variables on the system by entering the SHOW * command; for example: 
    >>> SHOW *

    auto_action             HALT 
baud                    9600 
boot_dev  dua204.4.0.2.3 
boot_file 
boot_osflags            0,0 
boot_reset              ON 
bootdef_dev             dub204.7.0.4.3,dua204.4.0.2.3 
booted_dev  dua204.4.0.2.3 
booted_file 
booted_osflags          0,0 
cpu                     0 
cpu_enabled             ff 
cpu_primary             ff 
d_harderr               halt 
d_report                summary 
d_softerr               continue 
dump_dev  dua208.4.0.2.3,dub208.4.0.4.3,dub204.7.0.4.3,dua204.4.0.2.3 
enable_audit            ON 
interleave              default 
language                36 
pal                     V5.48-3/O1.35-2 
prompt                  >>> 
stored_argc             2 
stored_argv0            B 
stored_argv1            dua204.4.0.2.3 
system_variant          0 
version                 T4.3-4740 Jun 14 1996 15:16:38 
>>>
  5. Enable the DOSD bit of the DUMPSTYLE system parameter by setting bit 2. For example, enter the value of 4 at the SYSBOOT> prompt to designate a full dump to an alternative disk with minimal console output: 
    >>> BOOT
SYSBOOT> SET DUMPSTYLE 4

    The OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual and online help contain details about the DUMPSTYLE system parameter.

    Note

    The error log dump file is always created on the system disk so that error log buffers can be restored when the system is rebooted. This file is not affected by setting the DUMPSTYLE system parameter or the DUMP_DEV environmental variable.

    15.10.2 DOSD Requirements on VAX Systems

    On VAX systems, the requirements for writing the DOSD are the following:

    Note

    To restore error log buffers when the system is rebooted after a system crash, the error logs must be saved on the system disk. For this purpose, AUTOGEN creates a SYSDUMP.DMP file on the system disk; the file is large enough to contain the maximum size of error log buffers.

    15.11 Saving the Contents of the System Dump File After a System Failure

    If the system fails, it overwrites the contents of the system crash dump file and the previous contents are lost. For this reason, ensure that your system automatically analyzes and copies the contents of the system dump file each time the system reboots.

    On Alpha systems, SDA is invoked by default during startup, and a CLUE list file is created. Generated by a set sequence of commands, the CLUE list file contains only an overview of the crash and might not provide enough information to determine the cause of the crash. Digital, therefore, recommends that you always copy the system dump file.

    Refer to the OpenVMS Alpha System Dump Analyzer Utility Manual for information on modifying your site-specific command procedure to execute additional commands such as SDA COPY upon startup after a system failure.

    On VAX systems, modify the site-specific startup command procedure SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM so that it invokes the System Dump Analyzer utility (SDA) when the system is booted.

    Be aware of the following:

    Example

    The SDA command COPY in the following example saves the contents of the file SYS$SYSTEM:SYSDUMP.DMP and performs some analysis of the file: 

    $ ! 
$ !      Print dump listing if system just failed 
$ ! 
$ ANALYZE/CRASH_DUMP SYS$SYSTEM:SYSDUMP.DMP 
    COPY SYS$SYSTEM:SAVEDUMP.DMP        ! Save system dump file 
    SET OUTPUT DISK1:SYSDUMP.LIS        ! Create listing file 
    READ/EXECUTIVE                      ! Read in symbols for kernel 
    SHOW CRASH                          ! Display crash information 
    SHOW STACK                          ! Show current stack 
    SHOW SUMMARY                        ! List all active processes 
    SHOW PROCESS/PCB/PHD/REG            ! Display current process 
   EXIT 
$ SET FILE/NOBACKUP SYS$SYSTEM:SAVEDUMP.DMP

    15.12 Freeing Dump Information from the Page File

    If you use SYS$SYSTEM:PAGEFILE.SYS to store a system crash dump, you must later free the space occupied by the system dump for use by the pager. If you do not, your system might hang because of insufficient paging space.

    Section 15.1 explains when you might use the page file to store a system crash dump.

    15.12.1 Freeing Dump Information on VAX and Alpha Systems

    This section contains instructions for freeing dump information from the page file on VAX and Alpha systems.

    How to Perform This Task on VAX Systems

    On VAX systems, perform the following steps:

    1. Invoke the System Dump Analyzer utility (SDA), specifying PAGEFILE.SYS as the target: 
      $ ANALYZE/CRASH_DUMP SYS$SYSTEM:PAGEFILE.SYS
    2. Enter the SDA command COPY in the following format to copy the dump from SYS$SYSTEM:PAGEFILE.SYS to another file: 
      COPY dump_filespec

      For example, to copy the system dump file off the system disk to a file called SAVEDUMP.DMP on DISK$USER5, enter the following command: 
      SDA> COPY DISK$USER5:[DUMPS]SAVEDUMP.DMP
    3. Enter the EXIT command to exit SDA.
    4. Include the SDA commands entered in steps 1 and 2 in the site-specific startup command procedure SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM to free page space each time the system reboots.

    Alternatively, to free the pages in the page file that are taken up by the dump without having to copy the dump elsewhere, enter the ANALYZE/CRASH_DUMP/RELEASE command. This command immediately releases the pages to be used for system paging, effectively deleting the dump. Note that this command does not allow you to analyze the dump before deleting it.

    Example

    The following commands, added to the SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM command procedure, copy the contents of the page file to a file named SAVEDUMP.DMP: 

    $ ANALYZE/CRASH_DUMP SYS$SYSTEM:PAGEFILE.SYS 
  COPY DISK$USER5:[DUMPS]SAVEDUMP.DMP 
  EXIT 
$ SET FILE/NOBACKUP SYS$SYSTEM:SAVEDUMP.DMP

    How to Perform This Task on Alpha Systems

    On Alpha systems, as described in the OpenVMS Alpha System Dump Analyzer Utility Manual, SDA is automatically invoked by default when the system is rebooted after a system failure.

    To automatically save the system dump file, perform the following steps:

    1. Create a SYS$$MANAGER:SAVEDUMP.COM file; for example: 
      ! 
! SDA command file, to be executed as part of the system 
! bootstrap from within CLUE.  Commands in this file can 
! be used to save the dump file after a system bugcheck, and 
! to execute any additional SDA command. 
! 
READ/EXEC               ! Read in the executive images' symbol tables 
COPY SAVEDUMP.DMP       ! Copy and save system dump file 
SHOW STACK              ! Display the stack 
!
    2. To point to your site-specific file, add a line such as the following to the file SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGICALS.COM: 
      $ DEFINE/SYSTEM CLUE$SITE_PROC SYS$MANAGER:SAVEDUMP.COM

      In this example, the site-specific file is named SAVEDUMP.COM.

    If the logical CLUE$INHIBIT has been defined, and SDA has not been automatically invoked during system startup, the pages in the page file that are taken up by the dump can be released using the ANALYZE/CRASH_DUMP/RELEASE command. This command immediately releases the pages to be used for system paging, effectively deleting the dump. Note that this command does not allow you to analyze the dump before deleting it.

    15.12.2 Usage Notes for Freeing Information on VAX and Alpha Systems

    Because a system dump file can contain privileged information, protect copies of dump files from world read access.

    To prevent the system from backing up the complete contents of the file, assign the NOBACKUP attribute to the file with the DCL command SET FILE/NOBACKUP.

    Although you can also use the DCL command COPY to copy a dump file, Digital recommends that you use the SDA command COPY because SDA COPY does the following:

    15.13 Installing Page and Swap Files

    The system automatically installs the primary page and swap files located in SYS$SYSTEM. However, other page and swap files are not automatically installed. For this reason, if you create secondary page and swap files, you must also install them with the System Generation utility (SYSGEN). Note that SYSGEN INSTALL commands perform a different function than Install utility (INSTALL) commands.

    15.13.1 Installing Interactively

    1. Invoke SYSGEN by entering the following command: 
      $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN
    2. Enter the SYSGEN command INSTALL as follows:
      For page files, use the following format: 
      INSTALL file-spec/PAGEFILE

      For example: 
      SYSGEN> INSTALL DUA2:[PAGE_SWAP]PAGEFILE_1.SYS/PAGEFILE

      For swap files, use the following format: 
      INSTALL file-spec/SWAPFILE

      For example: 
      SYSGEN> INSTALL DUA2:[PAGE_SWAP]SWAPFILE_1.SYS/SWAPFILE
    3. To make sure the files are installed each time the system boots, edit SYS$MANAGER:SYPAGSWPFILES.COM to add the commands you entered in step 2. For more information, see Section 15.13.2.

    Example

    The following example installs page and swap files interactively: 

    $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN
SYSGEN> INSTALL DUA2:[PAGE_SWAP]PAGEFILE_1.SYS/PAGEFILE
SYSGEN> INSTALL DUA2:[PAGE_SWAP]SWAPFILE_1.SYS/SWAPFILE

    15.13.2 Installing in SYPAGSWPFILES.COM

    Page and swap files other than SYS$SYSTEM:PAGEFILE.SYS and SYS$SYSTEM:SWAPFILE.SYS must be reinstalled each time the system boots. You can do this by adding the commands to install the files to the startup command procedure SYS$MANAGER:SYPAGSWPFILES.COM. The template file SYS$MANAGER:SYPAGSWPFILES.TEMPLATE includes comments that help explain how this file is used.

    Before performing this task, you must have created the secondary files, as explained in Section 15.15.

    For more information on SYPAGSWPFILES.COM, see Section 5.2.3.

    command procedure) You can also use SATELLITE_PAGE.COM to install page and swap files on a VAXcluster or OpenVMS Cluster satellite node's local disk. SATELLITE_PAGE.COM is created when you run CLUSTER_CONFIG.COM. For more information on installing page and swap files on a satellite node's local disk, see the OpenVMS Cluster Systems manual.

    How to Perform This Task

    1. Invoke any editor to edit SYS$MANAGER:SYPAGSWPFILES.COM.
    2. If necessary, add a MOUNT command for each disk that holds a page or swap file. This is necessary because only the system disk is mounted at the time SYPAGSWPFILES.COM is invoked.
      For example: 
      $ MOUNT/SYSTEM/NOASSIST DUA2: DISK_SYS2

      For information on the MOUNT command, see the OpenVMS DCL Dictionary.
      The following commands, inserted before the MOUNT command, are also useful to determine if the disk is available before mounting. Note, however, that if the disk is broken and cannot mount, these commands will cause an infinite loop. 
      $ LOOP1: 
$  ON WARNING THEN GOTO LOOP1 
$  WAIT 0000 00:00:00.50 
$  READY = F$GETDVI("device:","AVL") 
$  IF READY .EQS. "FALSE" THEN GOTO LOOP1

      where device: specifies the device name.
    3. Add the following command to invoke SYSGEN: 
      $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN
    4. Add commands in the following format to SYPAGSWPFILES.COM to install the files each time the system boots.
      For page files, use the following format: 
      INSTALL file-spec/PAGEFILE

      For example: 
      INSTALL DUA2:[SYSTEM]PAGEFILE_1.SYS/PAGEFILE

      For swap files, use the following format: 
      INSTALL file-spec/SWAPFILE

      For example: 
      INSTALL DUA2:[SYSTEM]SWAPFILE_1.SYS/SWAPFILE
    5. Add an EXIT command to exit SYSGEN: 
      EXIT

    Example

    The following example shows commands you might add to SYPAGSWPFILES.COM to install page and swap files named PAGEFILE_1.SYS and SWAPFILE_1.SYS located on the DUA2: device: 

    $ EDIT SYS$MANAGER:SYPAGSWPFILES.COM 
  [add the following commands to SYPAGSWPFILES.COM:] 
   .
   .
   .
 
$ MOUNT/SYSTEM/NOASSIST DUA2: DISK_SYS2 
$ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:SYSGEN 
  INSTALL DUA2:[SYSTEM]PAGEFILE_1.SYS /PAGEFILE 
  INSTALL DUA2:[SYSTEM]SWAPFILE_1.SYS /SWAPFILE 
  EXIT

    15.14 Removing Page, Swap, and Dump Files

    Caution

    If you remove a system page, swap, or dump file, do not simply delete the file. The disk might become corrupted if you continue to use the system after you delete the files.

    How to Perform This Task

    1. Use the RENAME command to rename the file to be deleted.
    2. Shut down and reboot the system.
    3. Delete the file.
    4. When you delete a file, make sure you remove from SYPAGESWPFILES.COM and MODPARAMS.DAT any command lines related to the file.

    Example 

    $ RENAME DUA2:[SYSTEM]PAGEFILE_1.SYS; DUA2:[SYSTEM]JUNK.SYS;
$ @SYS$SYSTEM:SHUTDOWN.COM
   .
   .
   .
[SHUTDOWN.COM shuts down and reboots the system] 
[When the system reboots, log in] 
   .
   .
   .
$ DELETE DUA2:[SYSTEM]JUNK.SYS;

    15.15 Creating and Modifying Page, Swap, and Dump Files

    For performance or disk space reasons, you might want to create system page, swap, and dump files on disks other than the system disk. (Error log dump files, however, must remain on the system disk.)

    The following sections explain how to perform this task:
    Method For More Information
    Using AUTOGEN (recommended method) Section 15.15.1
    Using SWAPFILES.COM (for primary files only) Section 15.15.2
    Using SYSGEN Section 15.15.3

    15.15.1 Using AUTOGEN (Recommended Method)

    You can direct AUTOGEN to create new system page, swap, and dump files by adding symbols to MODPARAMS.DAT to specify the name, location, and size of new files to be created and then running AUTOGEN. Before performing this task, you should understand AUTOGEN and its parameter file MODPARAMS.DAT. For more information about when to use AUTOGEN, see Section 14.4. See Section 14.4.4 for information on MODPARAMS.DAT.

    AUTOGEN automatically calculates appropriate sizes for system page, swap, and dump files. It also modifies the files to the appropriate sizes and installs them. You can control sizes calculated by AUTOGEN by defining symbols in the file MODPARAMS.DAT. For more information, see Section 15.15.1.2.

    How to Perform This Task

    To change the sizes of system page, swap, and dump files, execute AUTOGEN in two passes as follows:

    1. Enter the following command to invoke a first pass of AUTOGEN. AUTOGEN displays its calculations for system file sizes to SYS$OUTPUT: 
      $ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN SAVPARAMS TESTFILES
    2. If the file sizes displayed in step 1 are inadequate, add symbols to MODPARAMS.DAT to control the size of files as explained in Section 15.15.1.2 and return to step 1.
    3. When you are satisfied with the file sizes displayed in step 1, execute a second pass of AUTOGEN using the following command to install the modified system files when the system is rebooted: 
      $ @SYS$UPDATE:AUTOGEN GENPARAMS REBOOT
    4. Add commands to the site-specific startup command procedure SYPAGSWPFILES.COM to make sure the files are installed each time the system boots. For instructions, see Section 15.13.

    15.15.1.1 Controlling the Location of System Page, Swap, and Dump Files

    Add the following symbols to MODPARAMS.DAT to specify the names and locations of the page and swap files to be created:
    Definition For Page Files For Swap Files For Dump Files
    File name and location PAGEFILE n_NAME = file-spec SWAPFILE n_NAME = file-spec DUMPFILE_DEVICE= device

    where:

    15.15.1.2 Controlling the Size of System Page, Swap, and Dump Files in MODPARAMS.DAT

    You can add information to the AUTOGEN parameter file MODPARAMS.DAT to control the sizes that AUTOGEN calculates for system page, swap, and dump files. If you do not supply system file size information in MODPARAMS.DAT, AUTOGEN performs default size calculations for page, swap, and dump files.

    You can define symbols in MODPARAMS.DAT to specify either of the following:
    Size to Be Specified For More Information
    Total desired size for all page or swap files on a system (not valid for the system dump files) Table 15-4
    Sizes for individual page, swap, or dump files Table 15-5

    Note

    You cannot specify sizes for both total and individual files. AUTOGEN issues a warning if conflicting symbol definitions exist in MODPARAMS.DAT.

    For page and swap files, AUTOGEN generally manipulates the primary files SYS$SYSTEM:PAGEFILE.SYS and SYS$SYSTEM:SWAPFILE.SYS only if you have no other page and swap files. If you have secondary files, AUTOGEN manipulates the secondary files and excludes primary files. However, in some instances, AUTOGEN might modify the size of the primary page and swap files.

    On VAX systems, for system dump files, AUTOGEN manipulates the size of only one file: the system dump file on the system disk if no DUMPFILE_DEVICE is given or the system dump file on the specified device if a DUMPFILE_DEVICE is given.

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