Coredump

This chapter covers some aspects related to system coredump, a feature that allows the management of coredump files in OSDx devices.

Coredumps are files that capture a snapshot of a process’s memory space when it crashes unexpectedly. They are generated by the kernel in response to program failures. Although coredumps are not typically useful for an average user, they provide developers with a detailed post-mortem view of the program’s state at the time of the crash, which is especially valuable for diagnosing faults that are difficult to reproduce consistently.

Coredump Management Commands

The following commands are available for managing coredump files:

  • delete: Deletes specified coredump files. You can also use delete all to remove all coredump files at once.

  • show: Displays information about coredumps. Use show detailed for an in-depth view of each coredump file.

Cleaning mechanism

To prevent excessive memory consumption, a default maximum size is set for all coredump files on each device. This limit is determined based on the typical size of a coredump and the device’s maximum storage capacity. When the limit is reached, the system automatically deletes the oldest coredump files until the total storage used falls below the defined threshold.

The cleanup process starts automatically 5 minutes after the system boots and is subsequently triggered every 24 hours to ensure that storage usage remains under control. Additionally, a manual cleanup can be performed at any time using the following command:

system coredump cleanup

Cleaning options

The following commands for managing coredump files are accessible from configuration mode. These commands allow you to customize the retention and storage settings for coredumps:

  • keep-free: Specifies the minimum amount of free storage that should remain available on the device. When this threshold is reached, the cleanup process will prioritize keeping this amount of free space by deleting the oldest coredump files.

  • max-age: Defines the maximum number of days that coredump files can be stored. Once a coredump file reaches or exceeds this age limit, it will be deleted during the next cleanup. This prevents the accumulation of outdated coredump files and helps reduce manual storage management.

  • max-use: Sets the maximum total storage capacity that can be used by coredumps. If the total size of coredump files exceeds this limit, the cleanup process will start removing the oldest files until the storage usage falls below the defined threshold. This parameter is essential for ensuring that coredump files do not consume excessive storage space.

Accessing Coredump Information

Coredump files are encrypted, meaning that users cannot view their contents directly. If an issue arises and further analysis is required, you can use specific operational commands to gather information for troubleshooting. The commands tech-support show, and tech-support export help collect relevant data, generate reports, and create support bundles that can be shared with the tech support team. For more details on how to use these commands effectively, refer to the Tech Support Guide.

Command Summary

Operational commands

Configuration commands