Coredump

This chapter covers some aspects related to system coredump, a feature that allows coredump files to be managed in OSDx devices.

Coredumps take 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 give developers a detailed picture of the program’s state at the time of the crash. This is especially valuable when diagnosing faults that are difficult to reproduce in a consistent manner.

Coredump Management Commands

The following commands are available to manage 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 based on the typical coredump size and maximum storage capacity of a device. 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 automatically starts 5 minutes after the system boots, and is subsequently triggered every 24 hours to ensure 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 are accessible from the configuration mode to manage coredump files. 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 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 This prevents outdated coredump files from accumulating and is less reliant on manual storage management.

  • max-use: Sets the total maximum storage capacity coredumps can use. 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 crucial to ensure coredump files do not take up excessive storage space.

Accessing Coredump Information

Coredump files are encrypted, meaning 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 purposes. The tech-support show, and tech-support export commands 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