Collecting Data for Spectrum Protect: Server or Agent crash on AIX

Collecting troubleshooting data early, even before opening the Case, helps IBM® Support quickly determine if:
Symptoms match known problems (rediscovery).
There is a non-defect problem that can be identified and resolved.
There is a defect that identifies a workaround to reduce severity.
Locating root cause can speed development of a code fix.

Collecting Data: Table of contents:

	Gathering general information
	Manually Gathering General Information
	Gathering Spectrum Protect Server or Storage Agent crash on AIX Information
	Submitting Information to IBM Support
	Online Self-Help Resources
	Related Information

 

Gathering General Information

Entering general information into an electronically-opened Problem Case (previously called PMRs) eliminates waiting on the phone to provide general information to support. 

 

Manually Gathering General Information

From a Spectrum Protect Administrative command line client (DSMADMC), enter the following commands:

• QUERY SYSTEM > querysys.out
• QUERY ACTLOG begind=<mm/dd/yyyy> begint=<hh:mm> endd=<mm/dd/yyyy> endt=<hh:mm> > actlog.out


• - where begind and begint are the beginning date and time for the actlog entries being collected
  - where endd and endt are the ending date and time for the actlog entries being collected
  - the actlog gather should cover the full time frame of the issue/problem/scenario being diagnosed

Explicitly using the above commands will redirect the output to files called querysys.out and actlog.out in the Spectrum Protect server working directory. The names of these files can be changed and a full path can be specified to place the output in any desired directory using any desired name.

The above files along with the following files/info should be included as general information:

• dsmserv.opt for Spectrum Protect server, dsmsta.opt for Spectrum Protect storage agent
• dsmserv.err for Spectrum Protect server, dsmsta.err for Spectrum Protect storage agent
• dsmffdc.log (located in the instance directory)
• lslpp -l > lslpp.out
• errpt -a > errpt.out

 

Gathering Spectrum Protect Server or Storage Agent crash on AIX Information

• create .pax archive with OS snapcore command:


• snapcore -d<dir_name> <core_file_name> <program_name>
  Where "dir_name" is the directory to create the .pax archive file in, "core_file_name" is the core file, and "program_name" is the coring executable - dsmserv for Spectrum Protect server core, dsmsta for Spectrum Protect storage agent core
  *Note*: The snapcore command will produce a file named snapcore.xxx.pax.Z in the directory identified by the -d option, the default is /tmp/snapcore. Ensure that the location for creating the snapcore output has adequate space.
• Capture Spectrum Protect diagnostic information:


• # cd /usr/tivoli/tsm/server/bin/tsmdiag
  # tsmdiag -id <admin> -pa <password
  *Note*: Replace admin and password with appropriate Spectrum Protect administrative userid and password. This command generates "tsmdiag_results.tar" file.
  If using the -results option with the TSMDIAG utility, APAR IC62818 must be applied to avoid the loss of any objects already in the directory specified by the -results option.
• copy of the coring executable - dsmserv for Spectrum Protect server core, dsmsta for Spectrum Protect storage agent
• copy of dsmlicense file - only necessary for Spectrum Protect server core
• copy of OS libraries - if a symbolic link, gather the file to which the link points:

/usr/lib/libC.a
/usr/lib/libpthreads.a

If DBX debugger is installed on the system where the core is generated:

• Load the core into the debugger:


• dbx <program_name> <core_file_name>
• Confirm the core is not truncated. If DBX issues a warning indicating the core is truncated, the core may not be complete. If necessary increase ulimit settings and free up filesystem space to allow a full core to be captured.
• At DBX prompt, issue "where" command to display the call stack for the dump. Save output as "stack.out".
• At DBX prompt, issue "registers" command to display the current value of registers at the time of the core. Save output as "registers.out"

Provide the following files:

1. stack.out
2. registers.out (if DBX was used)
3. .pax archive created with snapcore command
4. tsmdiag_results.tar
5. copies of the coring executable, dsmlicense, and OS libraries.

 

Submitting Information to IBM Support

After a Case is open, you can submit diagnostic troubleshooting data to IBM.

When data is uploaded to the Case, the status will be automatically be updated to acknowledge that data has been received. If you are still working with older Problem Management Records, you will want to update the PMR to indicate that you have sent the data.

 

Online Self-Help Resources

• Review up-to-date product information at the IBM Spectrum Protect page.

• Sign into your account on the Spectrum Protect Product page, to access additional resources or to open a Case with the Support team.

 

Related Information

• Exchanging information with IBM Technical Support
• Latest Spectrum Protect Server and Client Downloads - Fixpacks and Interim Fixes