Creating a kernel dump of a KVM guest
A dump of a KVM guest can be driven by the host or by the guest.
Guest-driven dumps
You can set up kdump to create a kernel dump for an instance of Linux® as a KVM guest on IBM® Z. With kdump in place, a dump is triggered automatically by a kernel panic. Alternatively, the KVM virtual server can be configured to create a dump as a response to a kernel panic.
You can trigger an automated dump process from a running KVM guest by deliberately causing a kernel panic, for example through the magic sysrequest feature.
Host-driven dumps
The KVM virtual server administrator can use the virsh dump command to initiate a dump for a crashed or for a running KVM guest. By default, virsh dump pauses a running guest during the dump process, but the guest continues running when the dump is complete.
More information
For more information about kdump and using virsh dump, see Using the Dump Tools on Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 9.2, SC34-7751.
For information about the dump configuration of a KVM virtual server, see KVM Virtual Server Management, SC34-2752.