zsnap tool

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The following information describes the zsnap tool, its options and uses.

Purpose

Gathers system configuration information for AIX support.

Syntax

zsnap [ --ALL ] [ --CAA ] [ --CMDS ] [ --CRON ] [ --DUMP ] [ --FS ] [ --FSLVM ] [ --GRAPHICS ] [ --HACMP ] [ --INSTALL ] [ --KRB5 ] [ --LVM ] [ --NIM ] [ --NFS ] [ --PAM ] [ --PERF ] [ --SAN ] [ --SECURITY ] [ --SYS ] [ --TCPIP ] [ --VIOC ] [ --debug ] [ --email email ] [ --ftp ] [ --help | --? | -? ] [ --noprompt ] [ --nospacechk ] [ --pmr PMRnumber ] [ --filetext text ] [ --addfile file1,file2,file3,... ][ --snapscript ] [ --version ]

The zsnap command also accepts any of the flags of the snap command, except the -r flag. If you specify -r, then zsnap will exit with 0 (zero).

Description

The zsnap command is a supplemental tool used by AIX support personnel to gather debugging data. Built around the standard AIX snap command, the zsnap command gathers additional information that the snap command does not provide. You can also use the zsnap command to send a testcase directly to IBM from the machine that generated the testcase data. If needed, the zsnap command can fork multiple calls to the snap command, which results in quicker data gathering than if done via snap.

By default, the zsnap command writes command output to the /tmp/ibmsupt directory. If the directory does not have enough space to contain the output, the zsnap command exits. To suppress space checking, use the --nospacechk flag.

The optional environment variable ZSNAPCONFIG can be set to point to a file that will be read for flags that could be supplied on the command line. The format of the file is one argument per line.
Example:
-d /tc --noprompt --nospacechk --email user@example.com

If identical flags are provided on the command line those options will override what is read from the config file. Lines starting with # will be treated as comments and ignored.

Flags

--ALL

Executes with all snap flags except a system dump. This option does not include any zsnap-specific flags.

--CAA

Gathers data for enhanced clustering features in AIX at levels where these features are supported.

--CMDS

Gathers information related to command and library.

--CRON

Gathers cron information.

--DUMP

Gathers a system dump and the files needed to perform an analysis.

--FS

Gathers filesystem information.

--FSLVM

Gathers both filesystem and logical volume manager (LVM) information.

--GRAPHICS

Gathers information related to the graphics subsystem.

--HACMP

Gathers information related to PowerHA (HACMP).

--INSTALL

Gathers information related to install.

--KRB5

Gathers Kerberos authentication information.

--LVM

Gathers LVM information.

--NIM

Gathers Network Install Manager (NIM) information. This flag is only for execution on a NIM master.

--NFS

Gathers Network Filesystem (NFS) information.

--PAM

Gathers Pluggable Authorization Module (PAM) authentication information.

--PERF

Gathers performance information.

--SAN

Gathers information related to Storage Area Network (SAN).

--SECURITY

Gathers security information.

--SYS

Gathers a quick summary of the system. Note: This option is mutually exclusive of all other options.

--TCPIP

Gathers TCP/IP information.

--VIOC

Gathers NPIV/virtual fibre adapter information for hte VIO client.

--debug

Generates additional debug output for the zsnap command itself.

--email email

Specifies a valid email address that can be used to FTP a test case to AIX Support.

--ftp

Specifies that FTP will be used with the --noprompt flag.

--help

Displays the manual page for the zsnap utility.

--? | -?

Displays usage (syntax) information for the zsnap utility.

--noprompt

Supresses prompting of FTP information used to transmit test case to IBM.

--nospacechk

Suppresses space checking.

--pmr PMRnumber

Specifies a valid PMR number given to you by AIX Support. The syntax for the PMRnumber value is PMR#.Branch.Country . The zsnap command uses the PMRnumber value to properly name the testscase file.

--snapscript

Used to specify a script to use with snap (see the snap man page).

--filetext text

The specified text is added to the name of the completed testcase file. If the -c, -e, --ftp or --HACMP flag is not used to create a pax file, the text specified is not used.

--addfile file1,file2,file3...

The specified file is placed in the 'testcase' directory. More than one file can be specified via a comma-separated (no spaces) list.

--version

Displays the current version of the zsnap utility.

Notes

If you want to ftp you must specficy either --ftp or a valid --email address value.
If you want the testcase label to contain the pmr number you must specify a valid --pmr [ Number ]. Otherwise, 99999.999.999 will be assigned to the testcase label.
If you want to gather the tescase data to be sent in to the IBM testcase server and want to add extra data collected for an IBM tech, please do the following 2 step Procedure:
1. zsnap --[ team Flags ] --noprompt
2. zsnap -c --ftp --email [ email ] --pmr [ PMRnumber ] --noprompt
Please see the example in example number 5 for further detail.
If you do not provide --nospacechk, then you will need at least 200 MB of free space in the dir that you have chosen or in /tmp.

Examples

Enter the following command to gather all system configuration information except a dump.

zsnap --ALL

The command prompts you for PMR number and FTP information that is used to transfer the testcase to AIX Support, and then writes the output to the /tmp/ibmsupt directory.
Enter the following command to gather SAN and PowerHA (HACMP) configuration information and suppress prompts for PMR and FTP information.

zsnap --SAN -e --noprompt

OR

zsnap --SAN --HACMP --noprompt

This command generates one testcase in the /tmp/ibmsupt/ directory. When no PMR information is supplied in the command line, the zsnap command uses the following convention to label the testcase.
99999.999.999.<timestamp> .hacmp.pax.Z
Enter the following command to gather general system information, put the data in the /tc directory, and then be prompted for PMR and FTP information to transfer the testcase data.

zsnap -g -d /tc

This zsnap command prompts you for PMR and FTP information, and then generates a test case in the /tc directory.
Enter the following command to gather filesystem information, use the PMR number for the appropriate testcase name and specify the email address for FTP.

zsnap --FS --noprompt --ftp --pmr 99999.999.999 --email john@doe.com
To submit extra data to IBM while using zsnap please do the following:
zsnap --TCPIP --noprompt

Now copy the extra data into the /tmp/ibmsupt/testcase dir
zsnap -c --ftp --email john@doe.com --pmr 12345.678.000 --noprompt

Now the extra data is in the testcase dir pax up in the testcase file that was ftp'ed to the testcase server.

Files

/usr/sbin/zsnap

Contains the zsnap command.

/opt/support/zsnap

Contains other files related to the zsnap command.

Related information

The snap command.

For problems, questions or comments on zsnap send email to zsnap@us.ibm.com.

Document Location

Worldwide

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