Overview

This troubleshooting methodology describes how to collect data on core dumps to use for troubleshooting analysis and the information needed to escalate to the Service Engineering Specialist (SES) team.

 

 

SR Information: SR 1408236.   Product / Software Version: All DXi-Series systems / DXi 1.x and 2.x software    Problem Description: A  core file can occur when a DXi process is having trouble performing its required tasks. You usually find out you have a core dump when you see a RAS ticket on the DXi GUI or a message in the DXi logs.   DXi RAS Ticket Examples: “DXi6500: General DXi6500 Software : Operation failure" or “Operation failure: blockpool” DXi Log Example: Sep 24 13:01:02 basil srvclogcli: E0000(1)<2026722252>:SRVCLOG RCOMP: 66 RINST: trimcores VCOMP: 66 VINST: UNKNOWN VPINST: UNKNOWN EVENT: 51 TEXT: New core file:-rw-rw-r-- 1 root root 1798183140 Sep 24 12:52 /scratch/core/bpwd-1285348190-15411-reported Ticket creation time: 09/24 13:01:02 PDT

 

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Main Topics

1. About Core Dump Files
2. Collect and Transfer a Core Dump File
3. Gather Data on a Core Dump
4. How to Add the Instance to Bugzilla
5. Information Needed to Escalate a Core Dump to SES 

 

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About Core Dump Files

In a Linux based system such as the DXi, as an application (process) starts the program’s execution tasks are loaded into memory. During the execution of the process, additional child processes  (tasks) can be spawned as needed. These child processes are also loaded into memory. The memory allocation is dynamic, the OS increases memory when more steps (tasks) are being performed, and decreases memory when child tasks have been completed.

 

Sometimes the application runs into problems. The problem can occur because of many possible reasons: stack overflow, or a fatal error in the application’s code sequence.  Rather than hanging the system at such an occurrence, like other OS’s  (windows) have a tendency to do, the process will empty its memory registers in to a file (core) and the process re-starts. The procedure is controlled by the OS’s kernel.

What Information is Included in a DXi Core Dump File?

A linux/DXi core consists of the recorded state of the working memory of a computer program at a specific time, generally when the program has terminated abnormally (crashed). In practice, other key pieces of program state are usually dumped at the same time, including the processor registers, which may include the program counter and stack pointer, memory management information, and other processor and operating system flags and information.

How are Core Dump Files Used?

Core files are often used to assist in diagnosing and debugging errors in computer programs. A common tool is the GNU Debugger (gdb) . gdb will supply the raw data for a given address in a memory region from a core file (dump). The gdb tool helps generate information about the variables or data structures used by the program (in memory). gdb can read the core dump to determine the memory addresses of variables and determine the layout of data structures itself: debugging.

 

Using the results from gdb, you can determine if there is a PTR associated with the crash and SES, DXi Sustaining and Development will be able to tell exactly why the process crashed.
 

 

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What's Next?

Collect and Transfer a Core Dump File >