Reducing dump size

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Methods exist for handling memory dumps that are especially large (greater than 10 GB in size).

Before you begin

The preferred method for handling dumps of large production systems is using kdump. With kdump, you do not need to set up a dedicated dump device with a dump tool for each individual system. Instead, you set aside storage space to receive any dumps from across your installation. When using kdump, the information in this section applies if you want to set up a backup dump method for a critical system with a large memory.

About this task

Large dumps present a challenge as they:
  • Take up a large amount of disk space
  • Take a long time dumping
  • Use considerable network bandwidth when being sent to a support organization.
Note: Sometimes you can re-create the problem on a test system with less memory, which makes the dump handling much easier. Consider this option before creating a large dump.

Procedure

Complete these steps to prepare and process a large dump.
  1. Choose a dump device.
    If you want to dump a system with a large memory footprint, you have to prepare a dump device that is large enough. You can use the following dump devices for large dumps:
    Single-volume DASD
    • 3390 model 9 (up to 45 GB)
    • 3390 model A (up to 1 TB)
    Multivolume DASD
    Up to 32 DASDs are possible.
    • 32 x 3390 model 9 (up to 1.4 TB)
    • 32 x 3390 model A (up to 32 TB)
    z/VM® emulated FBA device that represents a real SCSI device
    FBA disks can be defined with the CP command SET EDEVICE. These disks can be used as single-volume DASD dump disks. The SCSI disk size depends on your storage server setup.
    SCSI dump
    The SCSI disk size depends on your storage server setup. For SCSI dump partitions greater than 2 TB, you must use the GPT disk layout.
    Dump on 3592 channel-attached tape drive
    Cartridges with up to 10 TB capacity.
    Do not use VMDUMP for large systems, because this dump method is very slow.
  2. Estimate the dump time.
    The dump speed depends on your environment, for example your SAN setup and your storage server. With a dump speed of approximately 100 MB per second on DASDs or SCSI disks, and a system with 50 GB memory, the dump takes approximately 8 minutes. Do a test dump on your system to determine the dump speed for it. Then you will have an indication of how long a dump will take in case of emergency.
  3. Reduce the dump size.
    For transferring dumps in a short amount of time to a support organization, it is often useful to reduce the dump size or split the dump into several parts for easier and faster transmission. To reduce the dump, choose one of these methods:
  4. Send the dump.