QMGTOOLS: Work with Main Storage Dumps (WRKMSD)

Steps

Total size of listed dumps:  This is the total size in use by the main storage dumps in the Main Storage Dump (MSD) Manager in System Service Tools (SST).  The size is shown in megabytes.  1 GB = 1000 MB, and 1 TB = 1000 GB. 

Main Storage Dumps:

• Dump:  This is the dump ID used by the Main Storage Dump Manager in System Service Tools to uniquely identify each dump.  Dump numbers can range from 0 to 9999, but MSD Manager only holds up to 255 dumps at one time.
      Note:  Dump 0 (zero) is just the residue area used during an MSD IPL.  Residue dumps are typically very small and usually missing the data mapping index, rendering them useless for analysis.
• Date:  This is the date when the dump was generated.  The format is YYYYMMDD.
• System:  This is the name of the system that generated the dump.
• SRC:  This is the System Reference Code associated with the dump.
• Size(MB):  This is the dump size in megabytes.
• Description:  This is the description entered at the time the dump was copied to disk, or possibly changed later in MSD Manager.

Options:

• Copy to IFS:  This option copies the selected dump to a file in the /tmp/QMG_MSD/ IFS directory.  Use this option if you need to upload a dump to IBM for analysis.
      Sample copy to IFS screen - 
      
• Summary:  Use this option to display the dump summary.  Information shown will vary based on type of dump, but can include such things as timestamp, SRC words, type/model/feature, system name, serial number, IPL side, etc.
      Sample summary screen - 
      
• Run macro:  Use this option to gather macro data from a Main Storage Dump and write it to a file in IFS directory /tmp/QMG_MSD/.  If a Main Storage Dump file is very large, IBM i Software Support may request macro data, such as SERVICEDOCS, to be extracted from the dump and uploaded to IBM.  The full dump may still be required, but being able to start analysis earlier can reduce overall debug and resolution time for a problem.
      Note: This option is not available for platform dumps.
      Sample run macro screen - 
      
• Work with IFS files:  Use this option to list and work with the IFS files generated for the selected dump, such as those created using options 3 (copy) and 7 (run macro).  IFS file sizes are shown in megabytes.  If a file is less than 1 MB, the size will show as 0 (zero).
      Sample work with IFS files screen - 
      

Function Keys:

• F3/F12=Exit:  Ends the current task and returns to the display from which the task was started.
• F5=Refresh:  Shows the display again with the most recent information and removes any selections.
• F9=IFS files for ALL dumps:  This function runs the WRKLNK command for the '/tmp/QMG_MSD/' directory where all of the IFS files are created by the WRKMSD tool.
      Sample IFS files for ALL dumps screen - 
      
• F13=Repeat option:  If you select a dump with option 5 (summary), or option 9 (work with IFS files), F13 will repeat the same option from the selected dump to the end of the dump list.  
      Note: F5 can be used to clear all selections.
• F17=Top:  Brings you to the top of the list.
• F18=Bottom:  Brings you to the bottom of the list.
• F21=Deleted dump IFS files:  If IFS files were created for a dump, such as using option 3 or 7, and then the dump is deleted from the Main Storage Dump Manager in System Service Tools, this option will list those IFS files for easy cleanup, or sending to IBM.
      Sample deleted dump IFS files screen - 
      
• F24=MSD Toolkit:  Goes to the old MSD Toolkit menu.
      
      https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/666303

Upload files to IBM:

Select all of the IFS files to be upload using option 1=Send to IBM, and press Enter.

The next screen shows the list of files you selected and prompts for:

• Transfer type:  Use *HTTPS for uploading to the IBM Ecurep server, or *BDFTP for BlueDiamond.  *SFTP is typically only needed if IBM i Software Support suggest using it to circumvent an upload issue.
• BD/Transfer ID:  If you have stored your transfer credentials in QMGTOOLS (reference document - https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/716165), leave the ID field set to the default value of *STORED.  Otherwise, fill in your BlueDiamond ID for a BlueDiamond upload, or enter your IBM Transfer ID for an Ecurep upload.  IBM Transfer ID reference document - https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6514791)
• BD/Transfer ID password:  If you specified *STORED in the ID field, leave the password field empty.  Otherwise, fill in your password for the ID you filled in.
• Case number:  Enter the IBM Support case number that the file(s) should be uploaded to.

When you press Enter to upload the selected file(s), each file will be submitted for upload, starting with the smallest file (first in the list), up to the largest file (bottom of list).  Uploading the smaller files first helps in two ways.  First, is that since macro output files are much smaller than the actual MSD file, IBM can start analysis of the macro data right away while waiting for the MSD file to upload.  Secondly, if the dump is split into smaller pieces for sending, all but the last piece is the same size (specified during split), and the last piece is the remainder, smaller than the rest.  This means that the IBM will receive the last piece first and therefore know how many other pieces to expect.

Split MSD:

Some networks have set limits on the size of file that can be transmitted, and some networks may be too unstable to reliably upload very large files.  Main Storage Dump files that are over one gigabyte can be split into smaller pieces for upload to IBM.  After an MSD has been copied to an IFS file, you can use F6 on the list of IFS files for the selected MSD to split the dump.

If you want, or need, to change the default split size, enter the new size (from 1 GB to 20 GB) and press Enter.  The screen will update showing the number of files your selected split size will generate.  The number of split files will be somewhere from 2 to 676.  The screen above shows a default of 1 GB split files resulting in 5 files to be uploaded.  In the screen shot below, the split size was changed to 2 GB and will now result in 3 files to be uploaded.  Once the desired size has been selected, press F16 to confirm and start splitting the dump file.  The screen will return to the work with MSD IFS files, showing that the split is in progress by changing the dump file name to say "Splitting" and there will also be a temporary file containing the name of the job performing the split.

F5=Refresh can be used to monitor the split progress.  After it has completed, the temporary SplitJob file and the full sized dump file will be automatically deleted.  The split pieces file names will end with "_aa", "_ab", etc.